Frazier: 'I never thought I'd be the oldest guy'

When Todd Frazier arrived at Spring Training with the Reds in 2011, he was in the same situation as many of the guys at Pirates camp this year.

There was competition, but the position he primarily played -- third base -- was occupied by a player now earning Hall of Fame votes: Scott Rolen. It didn’t help his case that at the other corner was Joey Votto, who had won the National League MVP Award the previous season.

But Frazier put his head down, got to work and showed the team what he was capable of. As happens in baseball, Rolen was injured in July and didn’t play the rest of the year, and Frazier made the most of his opportunity.

“You don't wish injuries on anybody, but that's part of the game,” Frazier said. “I opened a lot of eyes that year in 2011, and I’ve stuck ever since.”

Ten years later, the eye-opening rookie is the oldest player in camp, at age 35.

“I told somebody yesterday, I knew I’d play when I was older, but I never thought I’d be the oldest guy on the team,” he said.

However, he’s not coming in expecting to set the tone for the team. When Frazier spoke with rookie sensation Ke’Bryan Hayes, who will get the everyday reps at third base, he told the 24-year-old, “I’m here for you.”

• Numbers? Expectations? Hayes unfazed by it

“He has a good way about him,” manager Derek Shelton said. “When we talked to people and we were talking about him, everybody raved about what kind of teammate and person that he was.”

Frazier is fine with taking whatever role the Pirates give him, which will likely be platooning with Colin Moran at first base, if he makes the Major League roster. Though many assume he will, he isn’t taking anything for granted. And though he says he still “has a lot to learn” about the game himself, he’s willing to step up and be a source of wisdom for the young team.

“I want to preach to these young guys, ‘You’re here for a reason,’” Frazier said. “‘There’s going to be a lot of opportunities for you. Show them why you're here.’”

Updates from Tomczyk

Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk gave his first medical updates of the new season after being named the Pirates’ employee of the year in 2020.

“He deserved it for what he did last year, for what he did on both sides -- baseball operations and the other side,” Shelton said.

Here’s what Tomczyk had to report:

• On Austin Davis, who was placed on the 60-day IL with a left elbow sprain: “He is working with some advanced, two-hand plyo work. … This is the final stage before beginning his throwing program. So things are progressing and trending in the right direction. We hope to see him throwing in the coming days and the near future.”

• On Anthony Alford, who had surgery on his right elbow in September: “No restrictions with hitting. He did an excellent job during the offseason for his rehab program. He is having a little bit of challenges with the throwing, just to get more velocity on the balls and to continue to gain confidence, but we believe that we’re taking nice strides in regards to his throwing.”

• On Jose Soriano, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in February 2020: “Range of motion is checking out very well from the performance team. We’re still learning right now just to see how he throws, how he moves, but you will see him on the field, obviously, throwing, and then after a short period of time, an assessment time of how mechanics look [and] how the ball’s coming out, we envision beginning and continuing a bullpen progression series.”