When Ji-Hwan Bae returned from a prolonged rehabilitation assignment for a left ankle sprain in mid-August, one Pittsburgh Pirates player in particular was thrilled to see the rookie return to the lineup.

“Bae’s a key piece to the puzzle,” Andrew McCutchen said. “He’s a guy who can use his speed to get on base, steal bases and make something happen on the base paths. That was a very important part of the team.”

McCutchen has taken a keen interest in Bae, who is splitting time between second base and center field, and become a mentor who often offers words of advice in the dugout on his defense.

“That’s huge because he’s a role model in this clubhouse for everybody,” Bae said of McCutchen. “In the game, he’ll give me short advice like, ‘You don’t have to rush on this. You can do this instead of this.’ That helps me a lot.”

Perhaps the five-time All-Star, 2012 Gold Glove winner and 2013 NL MVP sees a bit of himself in the 24-year-old South Korean in center, as Bae uses exceptional speed to steal bases and chase down fly balls and make his share of spectacular catches the way McCutchen once did.

“He showed he could do it when he was out there,” McCutchen said. “He’s a bit of a burner out there. He doesn’t know when to turn it on and turn it off. It’s just 100% all the time. But that comes with time, as well. He’s not a natural center fielder. That comes with time. … But he plays good center field. He’s made some fantastic plays out there. He’d be a good center fielder, honestly.”

The Pirates have played Bae as much in center as they have at second base since he was activated from the injured list Aug. 18, starting five games at each position. Bae appears receptive to the idea of shifting to center field, whether it’s full time or in late-inning situations.

“It’s good to see people trust me out there,” Bae said. “That makes me more comfortable. I think they want to see more speed out there. I can cover more grass out there.”

Bae’s 253 innings over 49 games, including 24 starts, are the second-most on the Pirates behind Jack Suwinski. Where Suwinski has played twice as many games (100) and three times as many innings (770), he also has minus-6 defensive runs saved compared with Bae’s minus-1.

That’s not bad, considering Bae came up through the minors as a middle infielder. This isn’t the first time the Pirates have experimented with transitioning a player from the dirt to the grass under manager Derek Shelton. Where All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier proved adept at playing left field, the attempts of moving shortstop Cole Tucker to center and second basemen Michael Chavis, Diego Castillo and Hoy Park to right field were short-lived.

The Pirates are counting on Bae’s speed and athleticism to make up for his inexperience in the outfield, especially given the glut of prospects at second base. Bae has the most starts (43) there, but Liover Peguero is getting the bulk of playing time now and the Pirates also have top-10 prospects in first-round picks Nick Gonzales and Termarr Johnson.

Shelton has confidence in Bae in center.

“Oh, he can play center,” Shelton said. “I think it’s just gonna be a determining factor of where we feel his value is the greatest. Ultimately, I think we’re gonna probably see that his value is going to be the greatest being able to play multiple positions. In terms of being a center fielder, yeah, he’s not gonna have any issues being out there.”

His learning curve is steep, as Bae was getting bad reads and jumps on the ball off the bat and taking poor routes. After entering the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning Wednesday night, he missed Maikel Garcia’s fly ball that went for a triple in the 4-1 win at the Kansas City Royals.

“Just because he didn’t play there, I don’t think at the beginning of the season he was natural there,” Shelton said. “I think the catch he made in Boston highlights just how good of an athlete he is. He’s gotten more comfortable out there, he’s worked really hard to be better out there. His routes are better, his breaks are better, and then he’s got the speed to just close on balls.”

Bae showed fearlessness in the first week of the season when he made a leaping catch against Fenway Park’s famed Green Monster in left-center to rob Alex Verdugo of an extra-base hit. That showed Shelton that Bae could play the position without hesitation or reservation. Bae crashed into the wall for a catch to rob J.P. Crawford to send the game into extra innings on May 28 at Seattle.

“The one thing that I think really stands out about Ji is that most guys that transition to the outfield, one of their challenges is the wall. He’s not afraid of the wall,” Shelton said. “We’ve seen him run into it two or three times at full speed.”

OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A CATCH JI HWAN BAE pic.twitter.com/LzoyhSI2xi

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 28, 2023

What has impressed Shelton is how Bae has improved at the plate since going on the 10-day injured list on July 2. In 12 games, Bae is batting .250 (9 for 36) with a .357 on-base percentage, drawing six walks in 42 plate appearances.

Where Bae provided a distraction on the bases in the opening month, with 11 steals and 17 runs, getting on base became a problem as the season progressed. After slashing .304/.360/.391 in May, his batting average dipped to .159 and his OBP to .236 in June.

Ji Hwan Bae is 2-2 tonight, and has now hit leadoff doubles to start an inning in back-to-back nights

80.8 MPH exit velocity, .230 xBA pic.twitter.com/sUVOGyIPs9

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) August 29, 2023

Bae admits he was struggling, so he watched video of his first half to identify the problem. He felt rushed, like he was trying to do too much. So he addressed his setup and swing and focused on being athletic.

“The big change is I’m not swinging and missing that much,” Bae said. “If you hit the corner (of the plate), I’ll give it to the pitcher. I’m seeing what I’m going to hit. That’s helped me get walks. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

After all, Bae’s 21 stolen bases this season are the most by a Pirates rookie since McCutchen’s 22 in 2009. The Pirates believe Bae can be a game-changer on the bases if he can get on with consistency. Bae doubled in back-to-back games against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday and the Royals on Monday and reached on an infield error Tuesday.

“The biggest thing is he’s really in control,” Shelton said. “He’s taking aggressive swings, but he hasn’t been out of control. … And then, overall, just the energy he brings. It’s nice to see him healthy. I think for a little bit, he was protecting his foot a little bit. The fact that he’s healthy now and able to move, I think we’re seeing the version we saw earlier in the year.”

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