Ji Man Choi, Connor Joe next men up at 1st base for Pirates

Carlos Santana started at first base in 85 of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first 102 games this season, more frequently than any of his former teammates at other positions.

Plus, he batted cleanup in 85 games. Only No. 2 hitter Bryan Reynolds manned his spot in the order more often (87).

Santana is gone now, off to the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade that netted the Pirates 18-year-old shortstop Jhonny Severino.

The look of the Pirates is changing, with rookies who were not with the team at the outset of the season taking up at least half of the daily lineup. Yet there’s still room — and, perhaps, a need — for veterans while the Pirates prepare to navigate the final two months of the season.

In steps 32-year-old, eight-year vet Ji Man Choi, nearly a forgotten Pirate after he missed all but the first nine games of the season with a left Achilles strain before returning July 7.

Unless the Pirates decide to trade him or Connor Joe before the Tuesday deadline, those two will share the majority of the first base duties for the remainder of the season. Manager Derek Shelton left open the possibility of rookies Jared Triolo or Endy Rodriguez playing there, but Choi and Joe — if they’re still on the team — will platoon at first base.

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The metrics will tell Shelton to play the left-hand hitting Choi against most right-handed pitchers. He has 1,501 plate appearances and 62 home runs against righties versus 294 and five off lefties.

“We do have options,” Shelton said, “but I would say that Ji Man and Connor would be the first two.”

Choi gives the Pirates some extra-base potential. In his first 14 games since rejoining the active roster, he has four home runs, three doubles and nine RBIs while hitting .268. He has at least one hit in five of his past seven games while striking out 12 times.

After returning to the active roster, he quickly found his stroke, hitting home runs in his third and fourth games and adding another Wednesday in a 3-2 victory against the San Diego Padres. Batting cleanup, he hit a double to drive in the only Pirates’ run in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.

Choi said he did nothing special while on the injured list.

“Honestly, all I’ve been doing is just sleep well and eat well,” he said through translator Daniel Park before Friday’s game.

Shelton smiled when told of Choi’s remark, but he knows there is more to hitting a baseball than diet and rest.

“He did have a lot of rest because he was on the 60-day (injured list),” Shelton said. “And I’m glad that he ate right. Maybe that’s a lesson moving forward. If he just continues to eat right, he’s going to rake.

“I do think it’s more than that. Just him getting healthy. Early in the year we saw glimpses of consistent at-bats (home runs in two of his last three games before the injury).

“We’ve seen him over the course of time have consistent at-bats. That’s why we went out and got him. Since he’s come back, he’s done a really nice job.”

The Pirates acquired Choi last November from the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade for minor-league pitcher Jack Hartman. In an attempt to get additional experience and home run potential from its first basemen, the team then signed Santana a few weeks later.

Santana was a reliable fielder this season for the Pirates, a responsibility Choi now assumes. Friday, his long leg stretch enabled the Pirates to turn a 6-4-3 double play on the Phillies’ Trea Turner, who had hit into only four previously.

“That was a bang-bang play,” Shelton said. “Not only he goes into the splits, but that throw is up the line a little bit.”

Choi said he’s prepared to pick up the production Santana took to Milwaukee.

“Just because Santana got traded doesn’t mean we have given up,” Choi said. “We’re just going to keep on fighting. Personally, I’m going to keep on fighting to deliver to the fans whatever they want.”

If he’s traded, so be it.

“There has always been talks about me at the trade deadline,” he said. “But if some teams that are contenders want me, I’m very thankful for that. If I happen to stay here for the rest of the season, I’m just going to stay here and do my best to help the team win.

“We know Carlos left, but we still have (leaders) like (Andrew) McCutchen. I think the best thing to do for us is just to keep on doing what we’ve been doing so far and encourage the guys to keep fighting.”