Pirates' Kramer undergoes hip surgery

While baseball waits to resume, Kevin Kramer's own grand entrance will be delayed even further.

The Pirates' No. 18 prospect underwent surgery on his right hip last week, the Pittsburgh organization announced Wednesday. He is expected to miss four to six months of baseball activity, making a 2020 return unlikely. The procedure was meant to fix "recent and chronic symptoms that prohibited Kramer from continuing his training," the Pirates said in a statement.

The 26-year-old infielder was in competition for a Major League job this spring after playing in 43 big league games between 2018 and 2019. He appeared in 11 Grapefruit League contests for the Bucs in February and March, hitting .240/.387/.240 over 31 plate appearances while playing second base, third base and left field.

A second-round pick out of UCLA in 2015, Kramer pushed his way to the Majors by generating solid offensive production in the International League. During his 2018 and 2019 seasons with Triple-A Indianapolis, the left-handed slugger hit .288/.351/.458 line with 25 homers and 17 stolen bases over 242 games. He struggled in the Majors, however, going just 12-for-79 (.152) with 37 strikeouts during his two seasons in The Show.

Still, Kramer had a decent chance of making the club out of camp due to his ability to play multiple positions and his decent speed and arm tools. The California native has been primarily a second baseman in the pro ranks, but his experience at third and left offered a new path to the Steel City -- one that he'll have to pick up in late September at the earliest.