The Pirates announced that Andrew McCutchen has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to left knee inflammation, and infielder Alika Williams was called up from Triple-A to take McCutchen’s spot on the 26-man roster. Ryan Palencer of the Bucs On Deck site (X link) was the first to report yesterday that Williams was headed back to the majors, after McCutchen was removed from Friday’s game due to left knee discomfort.
While there’s no truly good time for an injury, the knee problem arises at a particularly unfortunate juncture for McCutchen, as the veteran was in the midst of his hottest stretch of the season. McCutchen has hit .281/.375/.483 with four home runs over his last 104 plate appearances, boosting his overall slash line to .235/.336/.405 in 437 PA. That works out to an 109 wRC+ and yet another year of above-average production — now in his 16th MLB season, Cutch has only once dipped below the 100 wRC+ average threshold, as he slowed to a 97 wRC+ when playing with the Brewers in 2022.
Losing McCutchen to the IL is another blow to a reeling Pirates team. The Bucs’ 5-3 win over the Mariners yesterday snapped a 10-game losing streak that all but ended the club’s chances of snagging an NL wild card berth. Even that win was bittersweet due to McCutchen’s injury, which occurred while he was running to first base after hitting a single in the seventh inning.
Apart from handful of appearances in right field, the 37-year-old McCutchen has been utilized almost exclusively as a designated hitter over his two-season return to Pittsburgh. The Pirates will probably just shuffle several players through the DH spot to try and make up for Cutch’s absence, while also giving more at-bats to some younger players in what has suddenly become another evaluation period during the team’s lengthy rebuild. McCutchen can hopefully be back in short order to put a positive coda onto his season, and continue to set himself up for another contract in 2025.
Alika Williams, the no power, weak hitting, can’t bunt to move runners up and is undoubtedly the worst choice at Indy to promote in Cutch’s absence
And before someone mentions his defense, it’s not as good as the current infielders already in Pittsburgh
The ideal defense would have Cruz standing in section 123
It’s 100x better than Cruz and Gonzales
This team needs offense, Nick Yorke, a recent acquisition from the Red Sox, batting .392, 20 out of 51 at Indy would have been a better choice
Delaying his call-up to avoid early free agency?
We need the power hitting Bae in right. Just kidding. This front office continues baffle the average fan.
It figures that Sportsnet Pittsburgh which is partially owned by Bob Nutting lost the complete video and audio of the current game and still hasn’t recovered
Cherington was supposed to have had a keen eye for talent which he still hasn’t proved. He’s drafted well for pitchers but his choices for position players leaves alot to be desired
At least the video has returned
Everything about this franchise has become a failure
Taylor is yet another questionable decision by Cherington, especially this late in the season.
Like Williams he brings nothing offensively to this team, yet they keep playing him
His supporters point to his speed in the outfield but it’s not as Bae can’t cover the same ground instead. Taylor has been another major disappointment in a long list of disappointments this year
Bae? Taylor? Does it matter? Is one superior to the other? Doesn’t matter. You need 2 players who can handle CF. Cooke might be able to replace one of them though.
Your favorite manager just couldn’t let Santana pitch the 9th inning and earn a save so instead he brings in German who proceeds to hit 3 consecutive batters and now the bases are loaded with no one out in the 9th
Taylor can be dfa and Gorski be given an opportunity. He can’t be any worse than Taylor offensively. At least Bae can occasionally hit the ball out of the infield
Renegade got this.
#BednarIsBack
Most relievers only pitch 1 or 2 innings. If they were effective longer they would be swingman or starter.
I vividly remember when you said the same thing about Jack, Dream
Yes, Bednar pitched out of a jam not by his making and didn’t allow a run to score but it’s just one game. He hasn’t been the closer of past years but I am genuinely impressed with his performance today
German wouldn’t have been needed had Shelton allowed Nicholas to pitch the 7th inning. He pitched 1/3 of the 6th after he pulled Falter who pitched a gem
Jack Suwinski had a .400 batting average with 6 hits, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored in 6 games between July 1, 2024 and July 7, 2024
I am sure you do remember and vividly as it was a pretty impressive week when I said it.
Even this nearly a month wasn’t too shabby.
Jack Suwinski had a batting average of .273 with 12 hits, 3 homers, 6 RBIs and 6 runs scored in 16 games between July 1, 2024 and July 25, 2024
I don’t disagree regarding Jack but he fell off and considerably after that hot streak and his average suffered badly
Agreed.
Cherington has been underwhelming to say the least, and pretty bad to be realistic
I blame coaching. 2023 he was a good strong platoon. 2024 he is nothing. What happened? Why can’t we get back to 2023? There’s power there. Always has been. Can no coach tap into it? Where did it go?
Paul- Nicolas is the designated very short man for Shelton in his managerial genius.
El Gaupo-Cruz is of course a bad fielder but Gonzalez is one of the best second basemen in the NL.
I just hope that he resumes hitting when he gets back because he is a class guy who hustles and can hit in the clutch.
Yea buddy…Williams has no business being in a major league uniform…of all possible players to call up
One hit through 3 innings including striking out 4 times already against the Mariners and from the usual suspects
Taylor and Triolo who neither know how to protect the plate and people wonder why some didn’t want Williams promoted
Williams brings nothing to this offense except questioning the GM’s decisions, who after 4 years, should be out of a job by October
Bae Triolo Williams is like having 3 pitchers on your bench. Taylor makes it 4. Struggling Hayes makes it 5. Struggling Joe makes it 6. 6 pitchers hitting. Are you watching this team MR Nutting? Are you going to fire Cherington? Or do you see the 2 wins and say we are good now. Shelton and Haines will get these 6 pitchers hitting the cover off the ball in no time.
Triolo did hit a solo homer today, Dream, but he’s very inconsistent otherwise and Bae made two very nice catches playing right field too but if there’s options left, Hayes should go back to Indy and work on his swing
They’re all stars!
I know, Dream, they all stink. But do they really stink because of their lack of talent or are they being instructed to swing their bats a certain direction.
Is it all them or is it Haines?
Dunno. Probably both. Not elite talent but not getting the most of the potential talent they have.
again, I agree, Dream. Hayes had an electrifying August and September hitting with power, and extra base hits last year.
This year he’s lucky to put the bat on the ball and when he does, it’s usually a weak grounder.
So what happened? If it was his back problems he wouldn’t be able to field the ball or throw it accurately
He doesn’t seem like he even cares when he’s in the batter’s box. It’s all lackadaisical to him it seems
So my question to you, Dream, do you think the players are happy with Haines as the hitting coach? I know they would never admit it to the media but I am curious to what you think
“I know they would never admit it to the media” Oh they do though. And they are absolutely savage about it. They don’t say the words Haines sucks but they are saying Haines sucks. Reynolds loves him though. That’s the only person I noticed though. Pirates management loves him. Loves his philosophy. Loves his game prep. Hayes Davis Tellez Gonzales absolutely destroyed him in interviews. Could be many more. I don’t listen or read many interviews so those are just ones I happened to catch.
How can teams be divided over their coaching staff and still be successful?
And doesn’t management care that certain players are not happy with Haines?
Lastly, how can management like Haines and his philosophy if it’s not working?
Paul- If you think that O’Neil Cruz is a better shortstop than Alika Williams you need your head examined..
He is also every bit as good of a fielder as Triolo and a more natural shortstop.
His problem is he needs to hit and is one of the players on the fence for a future spot on the 40 man roster.
So no cook or York
Cutch was really hot too.
The clutch factor of a 25 year old Deion Sanders combined with the speed of a 26 year old Jacoby Ellsbury combined with the defense of a 27 year old Kevin Kiermeier combined with the batting prowess of a 29 year old Edgar Martinez combined with intimidation factor of a 30 year old Randy Johnson combined with the hustle of a 31 year old Peter Rose.
Not you again.
Hey Bucket Number Six
Muted.
Real enough?
MickeyTheMod you are a joke. Real enough?*
*I don’t really mean that. You never said anything to bother me. But pretend like I do.I don’t care if you mute me. It’s fine. Only thing I ever seen you comment is you are muted. So please mute me. I want you to have a moment of happiness and I hope one day you find true happiness. But until that day here is a small token of help. Mute me. Feel the rush. Ahhh there you go.
Shame on you Dream.
Mickey, I’d tell you to eat it, but you’re a coprophiliac.
Bucket- This is a Pirates thread.Please do not use unknown words that are quite dirty in nature.We only understand simple words.
Can they stop with the whole Alika Williams experiment already? We’ve seen enough for one season. Especially a lost season, with more deserving players in the minors willing to put up competitive ABs
Why not bring up yorke or Davis? Let IKF play short ?
This is why the Pirates are the Pirates what more does Henry David have to prove in AAA
He is obviously not a catcher or RF but he can hit in AAA
It’s not his fault they drafted him before knowing he can’t field
Should bring him up to DH & play 1B vs Lefties to see what he got for next year and see if he can turn into the 1B of the future or if he becomes a 1st overall pick DH
Why with the Williams he is not an everyday player
He or Bart can catch and the other DH. Why not bring up Yorke? Williams and Triolo do the same thing. Bae in right today? It’s like they want to make sure the parking lot is clear for the Steelers game tonight
Looks like a Bart Grandpal DH or worse Cruz while Joe who hasn’t hit since May plays RF.
Hopefully they see how awful Haines is and wants to keep the good prospects away from him. Wishful thinking though. Cherington is just doing his job poorly.
Williams even a once a week player?
Truth-The Pirates would have to make a hard decision not to resign him.
They need a bona fide DH next year but will have to trade young pitchers to get Rooker from the Athletics.
The problem with Cutch is that he can no longer play the field and he gets hurt too easily.
The second goes back to his Phillies days..
On the other hand he is still a fairly productive hitter but these guys can drop off a cliff at this age.The Pirates need young players,but it is sacrilegious to say what you said.
My take is to do it but only if they can get a true DH who can play for three years there.
SBN- Davis can play RF but in typical Cherington fashion he was given a glove and told to go out and play there in the ML’s with no training.
If BC had any brains he would be playing there now.
They have Bart and Endy to catch next year.
Davis’ arm plays great in RF.
They are jerking him around far too much.
Williams is getting one last chance to see if he can hit 240 in the ML’s.
You are right Davis should be up with the pirates.
Shows that the pirates truly have degenerated into a minor league franchise.
AND I AM A LIFELONG FAN OF THE BUCCOS
Sounds like Davis is starting to become a first round bust
starting to?
Too early to tell. He looked great in the spring after getting a off season of non pirates instruction. Then we got our Haines on him. Maybe drive line or Rowdys friend or Nunley or Nick Gonzales can coach him this winter.
I find it funny how players have to reach outside of the coaching staff to become better hitters
Actually it’s not funny, it’s sad
I’m ready for McCutchen to retire. He’s had an acceptable season but he’s an anchor to this roster.
You do not speak the truth. Cutch has been one of the bright spots in the lineup and all around good guy.
yeah his 16 homers this season, 3rd on the team has really dragged them down
Cutch is still a contributor. Once he starts looking otherwise, I think he will be the first to admit it.
Consider the idea of just sitting him the rest of the year, get healthy and have a normal offseason. He can still contribute, let next year be the swan song.
Cutch hit 2 homers in the same game just last week, he’s hardly ready to sit for the rest of the season
If the Pirates move on from Shelton, who would Pirates fans like to see replace him?
It’s pretty obvious Shelton has gotten all he is capable of getting from this group of players.
I don’t know if Buck Showalter is still interested in managing, but I can’t imagine a team that has ever needed him more. He would raise the expectations and hold players accountable in a way they’ve never experienced. The time for hand holding is over.
it’s not as much if Showalter would like to manage the Bucs, would they be willing to pay him enough to manage
After the way things ended in NY, he might not be looking for a highest bidder situation.
Don’t see anyone really interested in Buck. Or Maddon. Teams are looking for new blood. They are probably holding out for a sucker to pay them and won’t come back for cheap. I wouldn’t waste $ on a manager. Today’s game they really can’t factor in much unless they lose the clubhouse.
Carlos Santana. He won’t put up with the lazy play. And the Pirates will need a 1b yet again. Would be cool to see a player manager and Nutting will love the idea of having only 1 person being paid but doing 2 jobs.
If BC hadn’t been so frugal this past offseason, Santana would have been our first baseman and not Tellez
Everyone said that the younger players needed veteran leadership, he provided it last year and especially with the latinos
There really isn’t any this year unless you count Shelton ( cough cough)
The one call you make before all others is to Terry Francona. By all accounts, his health/life have stabilized enough and he wants back in the game. There would be no “tarnishing his legacy” as it is already set with multiple WS championships. The Beaver County native grew up a Bucs fan. Call him and make him tell you “no”. THAT is what should be done.
Francona would be an ideal replacement but, and there’s a but, Nutting himself is frugal, and Terry’s salary demands might be too much for this cheapskate owner
Shelton’s salary isn’t much, that’s why they keep him
What happened to McCutchen after his 2012-2015 run? He’s a solid player but looking at this year’s he was elite and still only 28 years old. Did he get injured or just tapered off a bit?
Cutch is 37 years old, not 28. I haven’t seen many recent 37 year olds who still have the same ability to hit like they were 28
Nor have you (or I) seen too many 28-year olds with 15 years in MLB.
I really don’t want to be that guy but did you even bother to read what I wrote?
“What happened to McCutchen after his 2012-2015 run”
“he’s still only 28 years old “
maybe read your entire post again
So you couldn’t figure out autocorrect switched “the” to “this”
Sorry let me correct it for you since it collapsed your mind.
“ What happened to McCutchen after his 2012-2015 run? He’s a solid player but looking at the year’s he was elite and still only 28 years old. Did he get injured or just tapered off a bit?”
Care to answer the question now?
The peak for a lot of hitters is 28 29. No idea what happened. He had acl injury in 2019 but that doesn’t explain 2016 2017 2018.
Thank you sir. You’re a gentleman and a scholar.
I never realized the drop off was that sudden. It seems like he always took care of himself so I wonder what changed.
I don’t know. Not sure anyone does. I have some guesses. Your reflexes reactions don’t get better with age. If you look at the competitive gaming world it’s all teenagers. Some early 20s. Cutch keeps going to a lighter bat as he ages where a larger man could keep a heavier bat longer. I never put any thought into it but those 2 things just came to mind as possible reasons.
Whatever the cause it makes guys who won’t hit free agency before 30s much more willing to sign an extension.
“Thank you sir. You’re a gentleman and a scholar.”
First and last time I will ever hear that from this crowd but thank you.
He may have been bummed out. Pirates window closed after 2015 and he could have been a free agent. The early extension probably cost him $100 million, too. He did bounce back in 2017, but he was clearly on the decline as most ballplayers after 30.
Yank- He also dropped in the field enough that his last year in Pittsburgh they moved him to left field and Marte to center.Then Marte got hurt and they had to move Cutch back to CF.
I think that it shows that only the greats and near grants can maintain that level that he showed for 3-4 years over a much longer period,
What an inept organization… leave the 2-3 solid hitters down at AAA are bring up Barney Fife
it’s time to dfa Taylor and Joe then promote Cooke and Yorke
Billy Cook plays LF, CF and first base and Nick Yorke plays 2nd base
They have to do something, to shake things up with this weak lineup
It’s been a recurring theme for this team this year.
During their 10 game losing streak, they were 5-47 with runners in scoring position and add another failed run scoring chance because Cruz swung at a pitch no where close to the plate with runners in scoring position just now
Yorke can play outfield as well.
They will need to make trades as the Pirates will not spend. That is the solution to shake things up.
Who’s left to trade other than pitching?
Top 30 prospects. Pirates aim is to find players with contractual control. There will be a couple prospects deemed untouchable. Those the Pirates keep.
Their farm system is now ranked 27th in baseball but several of their top prospects have made played for the parent club
This team lacks serious offensive players and the only way they can replace the bums currently on the team is either through trade or free agency
My guess is at least one of those players you deem untouchable will be traded before or during the winter meetings because there’s no way Nutting will pay for a top tier free agent
Whether they are ranked 27, 7 or 107, a franchise that is not going to spend considerable amounts of money in free agency has no choice but to trade prospects. There are players within the Pirates system a team may be willing to take on (or they may not). Otherwise the Billy McKinney’s of the world will be promoted. You and I agree, trades are necessary. Free agent spending will be minimal.
Don’t understand!? We need hitting! Hayes has killed us this year! We needed his bat, 4 hrs? Joke, forget the glove.
Hayes has 13 extra base hits this year which is absolutely pathetic. I know he’s an elite defender but this team in general needs an offensive force at 3rd base and he doesn’t qualify
Unless he is playing hurt, I would say it is time to move on this off season.
It’s over for Hayes! Like his dad! He will come around sometime but!? Bucs don’t have time! Cut ties! Sell low get contract off books! We need FA 30 man at third! Please know one knows this?? These guys make 6 figures and can’t figure it out!!? I’ll take job, this sh…t crazy! Expected alot more this year! Like long fan! Lost again!
Please acquire Votto, Mr. Nutting. He’s the spark this team needs and could be acquired for 2 or 3 good prospects. Thank you, sir.
He’s probably retiring and if not there’s 20 better options at least.
DJ was kidding, Dream.
Hey mickeytheMute…you don’t contribute anything to any posts….either here…or in other posts, that I’ve seen you troll in. All you do is MUTE, MUTE,MUTE, LIKE A LITTlE WHINY TROLL…WHY DONT YOU JUST, LIKE SMALL HANDS ONCE SAID, MAGICALLY DISSAPPEAR.
I muted Mickey the other day and am a happier man for it
and what did Taylor contribute to today’s game?
Struck out three times
Personally feel like he should stick around until Bae doesn’t look like he’s going to trip over his own feet catching a routine fly ball
Bae made a really nice catch against the right field wall and another one diving for a catch in the 9th saving at least 2 runs
I made myself happy again today by muting the Yank4life poster who apparently didn’t know how to structure a coherent sentence
Good for you. I’m happy for you.
Thank you, Dream
Senor Figs just muted me so I hope he is happy as well.
I don’t mute anyone. But MickeyTheMod and the person who only comments how many comments are hidden are pretty useless commenters. I’m going to call MickeyTheMod a joke right now. Not out of anger but out of love. Persons life is so sad and pathetic that one of the few or only enjoyments they get out of life is muting people so I want them to be happy as well.
when did SenorFigs mute you? he hasn’t posted a comment on this thread