LAKELAND, Fla. -- Josh Harrison was struck by 23 pitches in 2017 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and took 40 hit-by-pitches over the last four years. So it figures that his first plate appearance against his old squad as a Detroit Tiger would end with a Chris Archer pitch off his left leg.

“He always hits me,” Harrison said. “That’s my Low-A roommate. He hit me when he was with the Rays in Pittsburgh. It wasn’t intentional.”

Harrison made the most of it, as he scored from second base on a Christin Stewart soft line drive into shallow left-center field during Detroit's 6-3 win against the Pirates on Saturday.

“He’s a really funny guy,” said manager Ron Gardenhire. “He told us after he came in after the first inning, ‘I’m in their head. I’m already in their head.’ And that’s the kind of guy you love.”

Fitting, too, that after blooping an RBI double just inside the right-field line and into the seats in the second inning, Harrison eventually stole third base on his old teammates, setting up another run on a Miguel Cabrera sacrifice fly.

“It’s all in the mentality,” Harrison said. “That’s one area of the game that sometimes gets overlooked: When you’re on base, put pressure on the pitcher. And a lot of times, it’s not about just stealing bags. It’s taking first to third, seeing balls in the dirt, getting a good read. A lot of times, just giving the appearance that you’re going to run is enough to make a team panic. And anytime you get on base, those are precious runs you want to be able to cash in.”

That is music to Gardenhire’s ears. It’s why the Tigers manager is thankful that management made the mid-spring decision to sign Harrison to a one-year contract, pairing him with longtime double-play partner Jordy Mercer.

“It’s a really big pickup for us,” said Gardenhire. “I went over and thanked [Pirates manager Clint] Hurdle personally for giving us his middle infield. And he said, ‘You’re going to love them. You won’t have to worry about them.’ Those two are very special together. And Harrison’s hilarious.”

Saturday marked the first time that Harrison and Mercer faced their former team. But unlike some other recent Pittsburgh sports departures, there was no bitterness, no parting words. Everybody knew when the offseason began that both would almost surely be gone from Pittsburgh. It was just a matter of where.

Little could Harrison or Mercer imagine that they would end up in the same place. Little could Hurdle, a Big Rapids, Mich., native, imagine that they would both land with the team he followed growing up.

“They’re fulfilling a life-long dream of mine to play for the Tigers with that Old English D,” Hurdle said. "As a kid growing up in Michigan, listening to Ernie Harwell and your favorite player ever being Al Kaline, it’s pretty cool. They landed in a good spot.

“It’s pretty funny. You pick up the lineup today and there they are [batting] one and two. Good for them. They meant a lot to our guys. They were both dependable guys who were able to help us navigate through the end of a 20-year drought and put us in a position where expectations have changed and are much higher. They helped create a clubhouse culture and environment that is also in a much better place.”

If they did, Harrison said, it wasn’t intentional.

“I don’t think that’s anything that me and Jordy set out to do,” said Harrison. “We just live in the moment, and wherever we are, they’re going to get the best of what we have, all of what we have.”

That’s good enough for Gardenhire.

Quick hits

• Gardenhire returned to the dugout Saturday after missing Friday’s game against the Rays with a pinched nerve in his neck. He said he’ll undergo a painkilling injection Wednesday, likely ruling him out of that day’s game against the Phillies in Clearwater.

• Nicholas Castellanos, day to day with a bruised left hand suffered on a hit-by-pitch Sunday, took swings in the batting cage Saturday morning and indicated he felt improvement. He’ll take batting practice again Sunday and could play in Sunday’s game if he feels good. “Right now, he’s 75 percent,” Gardenhire said, “so there’s 25 percent that we’re going to figure out tomorrow morning before the game.”

• Drew VerHagen will throw a second bullpen session Sunday morning as he works back from inflammation and tightness in his shoulder. If he feels fine, he could return to game action at some point next week.

Up next

The Tigers are back on TV Sunday when they host the Braves in a 1:05 p.m. ET matchup at Joker Marchant Stadium. Tyson Ross makes his fifth start of the spring as he tries to build on the momentum of his four scoreless innings against the Twins last Monday. Touki Toussaint will start against the Tigers for the third time this spring. Catch the action on Fox Sports Detroit Plus back in Michigan and MLB.TV online.