Stratton eager to turn the page on injury, pen comeback chapter

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Hunter Stratton was never much of a reader growing up. Even now, it¡¯s a bit of a battle to motivate himself to sit down and read, but every Spring Training, he makes the time to read four specific books.

¡°I just kept seeing them and thought, ¡®I¡¯ve seen them enough; it feels like they¡¯re calling to me,¡¯¡± Stratton said. ¡°Those four have just been gold to me the last three years.¡±

Hearing him explain what he takes from each book, you can see why those selections strike a chord with the 28-year-old right-hander, especially as he works to earn a spot on the Pirates¡¯ 40-man roster for the third time in as many years. Stratton was a bright spot in the bullpen, but he had his season cut short on Aug. 24 when he ruptured the patella tendon in his left knee sliding into the limestone behind home plate at PNC Park chasing an errant throw. Tuesday was a benchmark day for him, throwing his first live batting practice of the spring. It marked the first time he¡¯s faced batters since the injury.

As Stratton roamed the halls of Pirate City and LECOM Park this spring, building up to that first live BP, he often had one of these four books in hand:

? "Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence" by Gary Mack
¡°Stories about how other athletes dealt with the pressure and how to just leave it all out there,¡± Stratton said. ¡°Separate between the lines.¡±

? "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" by Don Miguel Ruiz
¡°It¡¯s more of a lifestyle book," Stratton said. "Even if you never plan on playing sports in your life, it¡¯s just a great mindset [and] lifestyle book about how to live your life and be grateful for it as a gift we all have.¡±

? "The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles" by Steven Pressfield
¡°One of the best books I¡¯ve ever picked up," Stratton said. "Just talking about those daily resistances you come in contact with; mainly procrastination. Why procrastinate? Put in the work. Just show up every day and make the most of every day.¡±

? "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen
¡°It¡¯s a story about a guy who came from nothing," Stratton said. "I feel like I relate with that. I¡¯m not saying I have the worst story of all time, but I did pick myself up [by] my bootstraps. It reminds me to never give up.¡±

Giving up really isn¡¯t an option for Stratton. A 16th-round pick in 2017, it took him six seasons in the Minors to earn his first cup of coffee in September 2023. The Pirates non-tendered him that winter, but they offered him a Minor League deal to earn his spot on the team again. Stratton and his wife, Lakyn, were expecting their first child at the time and wanted familiarity, so he accepted the deal and pitched his way onto the Opening Day roster. This winter, he was again non-tendered and again re-signed with the Bucs on a Minor League deal.

¡°I¡¯m homegrown,¡± Stratton said on why he keeps coming back. ¡°This is what I know. It¡¯s just comfortable to come back here. I believe in my ability to earn my spot back.¡±

Earning a spot back on the MLB team is very possible, and for Stratton, it could come perhaps sooner rather than later. In terms of his arm strength and work, he¡¯s about where the other pitchers in camp are; he just couldn¡¯t do any running or fielding drills until he was cleared by team doctors in camp. General manager Ben Cherington did not rule out the possibility of Stratton competing for an Opening Day spot if he checks all the boxes on his rehab this spring. That¡¯s sooner than what was expected after Stratton¡¯s surgery, with the initial forecast projecting a midseason return.

The day after his surgery, Stratton set his sights on getting back sooner than that. From the rehab sessions he did three to four times a week this winter to the books he¡¯s reading now, it¡¯s all pointed toward returning to the Pirates as soon as possible.

¡°April was the goal for me,¡± Stratton said. ¡°April is what I have in [my] sights. ¡­ I want to come back. I want to be part of this team and contribute.¡±