Earlier today it was reported that Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was likely headed for the disabled list and expected to miss at least 3-4 weeks of action. That has changed and the team remains hopeful.
McCutchen's invaluable presence in the Pirates lineup likely forced management to reconsider putting him on the disabled list. Since June 1, McCutchen leads the National League in batting average (.322), slugging percentage (.626), and RBIs (44), and is tied for third in home runs (13). The tight NL Central race also played a factor, as Pittsburgh sits 1.5 games behind the leading Milwaukee Brewers.
On Sunday McCutchen suffered an injury during a swing that tied the game against the Diamondbacks in the eighth inning. He grasped his left side shortly after he hit a sacrifice fly to left field that drove in a runner to make the score 2-2. Originally believed to be a significant oblique strain, the team said doctors diagnosed the outfielder with an "avulsion fracture involving the costochondral cartilage of the 11th rib," meaning the muscle pulled away from its attachment to the rib, as stated in this ESPN article.
"They are trying to get as much information as they can," manager Clint Hurdle added. "At this point we're weighing whether Andrew might be able to come back in less than 15 days against playing a man short. For now, we're going to wait and keep him on the active roster."
McCutchen has never been placed on the disabled list in his six year MLB career and has only been kept out of 25 games, playing in at least 154 games each year since his first full season in 2010 (he was called up to the majors on June 3, 2009). The Pirates can't lose a player of McCutchen's caliber because of the relatively mediocre roster around him.
Pittsburgh needs all the help they can get as they sit 1½ games back of the division lead and 0.5 games back of the final wild card spot. You can read more about Andrew McCutchen's injury in this MLB.com article.
