Pirates Give Injury Update on Andrew McCutchen
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PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen left early in the win against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday night at PNC Park, due to injury.
The Pirates gave an official update on McCutchen and saying that they removed him due to a precaution for left quad tightness. The Pirates medical staff is treating and evaluating him and that they'll provide an update when they have one. McCutchen's status is also day-to-day.
Andrew McCutchen was removed from tonight’s game as a precaution with left quad tightness.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 4, 2024
He is being treated and evaluated by the Pirates medical staff. The team will provide an update as it becomes available. His status is day-to-day.
McCutchen faced a long 11-pitch at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, which included him hitting a ball that appeared fair, but the third base umpire ruled a foul, despite Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez throwing him out.
He then singled and got on first base, but manager Derek Shelton took him out for that injury and also to put in Ji Hwan Bae to pinch-run, which he's done in previous games, with the score 1-1.
That single proved vital as left fielder Bryan Reynolds would hit a home run in the next at-bat, giving the Pirates a 3-1 lead, en route to a 4-1 win.
A B-Rey BLAST💥 pic.twitter.com/nQfMrF9dLc
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 4, 2024
McCutchen has mostly served as a designated hitter this season and has a .228 batting average, 81 hits in 355 at-bats, along with 13 home runs, 14 doubles, 31 RBI and 48 walks. He also has a .328 on-base percentage, a .383 slugging percentage and .712 OPS in 2024.
He is one of a number of players on the Pirates dealing with injuries right now. Starting pitcher Jared Jones is still out with a lat injury from early July, but did pitch a batting practice on Saturday and is likely to come back in the middle of August.
Second baseman Nick Gonzalez is out with a groin injury until around early September, right-handed relief pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski is dealing with a shoulder injury that will keep him away until mid-August and outfielder Joshua Palacios is still out for another week with a hamstring injury.
Relief pitchers in left-hander Ryan Borucki and right-hander Daulton Jeffries are out until early September, with wrist and elbow injuries, respectively.
The Pirates finish the series Sunday afternoon against the Diamondbacks, so time will tell if McCutchen returns early or for the next series against the San Diego Padres.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.