After battling injuries, Joshua Palacios singles, scores in return as Pirates top Yankees

A season of battling injuries tested the perpetually positive personality of Joshua Palacios, so the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder took it as a lesson that put things into perspective.

And caused him to develop an alter ego.

After meeting with Pirates mental performance coordinator Andy Bass, Palacios worked with Todd Herman to figure out a way to separate himself from the things that sidetracked his career and focus on his success.

“It’s kind of just separating all the stuff that’s happened in the past, all the stuff that’s got in the way,” Palacios said, “and being intentional about the player that wants to show up every single day and using what I did late in games in 2023 and trying to bring that to every single at-bat in games this year.”

In his first at-bat since March 7, Palacios singled and then scored the go-ahead run in the second inning in a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees in a Grapefruit League game Sunday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

Darick Hall provided the winning hit with a two-run homer 378 feet to right-center off former Pirates reliever Rob Zastryzny in the top of the ninth to break a tied game.

After hitting 10 home runs and 40 RBIs for the Pirates in 2023, including a walk-off home run to beat the Philadelphia Phillies on his 28th birthday, Palacios dealt with a calf injury and an illness last spring that caused him to be optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

He started the season making the first of several stints on the injured list, which included rehabilitation assignments with Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. Even when Palacios earned a promotion to the Pirates, he injured his left hamstring and went back on the IL.

“It was tough,” Palacios said. “Every single time I thought I was getting back, something else would get in the way. I’m looking at how I can use it to my benefit. If I can make it through that, I can do a lot more things this year. As long as we don’t go through that again, it’s only up from here.”

Palacios is out of options, so this is a make-or-break spring training for him to make the team as the fourth outfielder. He has been sidelined while dealing with left knee soreness, so his Grapefruit League numbers are limited to a .235 batting average (4 for 17) with three strikeouts, two walks and two runs scored in eight games.

After batting .291/.372/.489 with 19 doubles, five home runs and 25 RBIs at Indianapolis last year, Palacios finished the season with the Pirates. He hit .224 with a .333 on-base percentage with two doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in 23 games in the majors.

“I know what I’ve done in the past. I know what I can bring to the table. And I know I’ve gotten better since that day,” Palacios said. “So it’s more about staying healthy, stacking the days, sticking to my routine, trusting this coaching staff and continually getting better and better.”

As trying as last season was, Palacios prefers to look at the bright side. The final series was against the New York Yankees, so the Brooklyn native got to live out a childhood dream by playing at Yankee Stadium. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Palacios delivered a line-drive double off Clarke Schmidt to drive in a pair of runs in the 6-4 loss.

“That was the first time I got to play in Yankee Stadium in the major leagues,” Palacios said. “I grew up a Yankees fan — I’m no longer a Yankees fan — so that was a cool moment there. I got a chance for my family and friends to come down. I got a hit in Yankee Stadium, so it’s the stuff that you dream about. Growing up, I’d be in those stands, all over the place watching those games. To be on the field was a blessing.”

Notes: Paul Skenes is scheduled to start against Joe Ryan and the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 p.m. Monday at LECOM Park in Bradenton as the Pirates have split-squad games. Bailey Falter is expected to start for the Pirates against Reese Olson and the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland.