Pirates turned to Wilmer Difo in a pinch, and the super utility player is delivering

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Apr. 13—When the Pittsburgh Pirates pursued Wilmer Difo in free agency, the attraction was as much for his magnetic personality as it was his switch hitting at the plate and versatility in the field.

While Difo didn't make the Opening Day roster out of spring training, he has slid seamlessly into a bench role for the Pirates since Ke'Bryan Hayes went on the injured list with a wrist injury April 4. Difo is batting .364 (4 for 11) with two doubles, a home run, two RBIs and two runs in seven games since being selected from the alternate training site and added to the 26-man major league roster.

"They trusted in me to provide me the opportunity to step up. I take that serious. I don't take that lightly," Difo said through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez. "I value the opportunity. I know that we're here to win. I know that we're here to produce. And every opportunity that is given to me and every chance that I get, I'm trying to maximize it. I know that when it comes to playing time, that's outside of my control. However, when I do get the opportunity, trust me, I'm going to come through with everything that I have."

Difo could be the odd man out when Hayes is ready to return from the 10-day IL, yet he has made a case to stay put. Not only is Difo a capable glove in the middle infield, but he has played third base and center field and has performed well in a pinch-hitting role in the past two games.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder hit a two-run homer to right field in the seventh inning of a 7-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, then doubled to left and scored on Adam Frazier's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of Monday's 6-2 loss to the San Diego Padres.

For Difo, embracing his utility role while preparing as if he was a starter is a key aspect he learned while playing for the Nationals from 2015-20 alongside All-Stars Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto. Difo was diligent in their paying attention to their preparation in hopes they would rub off on him. If nothing else, he learned good habits.

"When I do get the opportunity to come off the bench and hit, I take every at-bat serious," Difo said. "I study the game throughout the game. I watch the game throughout the game. I never try to let myself get distracted throughout the game. And I'm continuously focused, learning about the game, seeing people's at-bats, and when I go up to the plate, I have a better idea of what I'm looking for. I have a better plan.

"My goal is to execute and produce at every at-bat. Of course, coming off the bench, it's not easy. It's one of the hardest jobs in baseball, and it's not as easy as it looked (Sunday), coming off the bench and hitting a home run. But it takes a mindset and a physical aspect, as well, just to maintain a preparation that will help you come off the bench and feel a lot more comfortable, and a lot more at peace going in coming off the bench."

Difo batted .271 in 124 games for the Nationals in 2017 and .230 in 148 games in '18 before being reduced to 43 games the following year, when they won the World Series. Even though Difo wasn't on the postseason roster, Pirates manager Derek Shelton believes his experience of playing on a championship team in the regular season will be invaluable to a young Pirates team bouncing back from the worst record in baseball last year.

"This kid's high-energy all the time. He brings a ton of energy. Everybody we talked to talked about how good a team guy he was," Shelton said. "When you have the personality has — he's always upbeat — it's important. And as we continue on this journey, we're going to have to add guys like that. We're going to have to add guys who have been there and done that, because that helps our young players realize the ups and downs of a major league season."

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .