The Pirates were going for a sweep of St. Louis yesterday but a 9th inning comeback attempt fell short. Joe Block recaps the action.
Manager Derek Shelton says Luis Ortiz was not as sharp in his return to Pittsburgh as he had been at Indianapolis.
Shelton likes what he has seen lately of a resurgent Ke-Bryan Hayes.
Andrew McCutchen did not get career home run number 300, but he did hit three doubles, the first time he’s ever done that in a game. Cutch was 6-for-13 in the Cardinals series. He says the Pirates can be a good hitting team.
The Pirates welcome the Chicago Cubs to PNC Park tonight for the start of a four-game series. The Cubs will start All-Star lefthander Justin Steele, who is 14-3 with a 2.80 ERA. The Pirates have not named their starter.
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said yesterday that shortstop Oneil Cruz’s rehab of his fractured ankle has “plateaued” and he thinks a return to play this season is in doubt, because they are “running out of days”. Cruz recently began a running program but has been dealing with soreness in his left foot. Tomczyk said “There’s so many little nooks and crannies and ligaments and muscles and tendons in that foot…that if one thing is off, it’s going to be a domino effect and continue to affect the other one.” Cruz broke the ankle in April and the team originally targeted an August comeback but then pushed that schedule back to September.
Other injury news:
Tomczyk said Henry Davis will pick up a bat again in five days to see if he can grip it. Meanwhile, the team will “consult internal and external hand surgeons” about Davis’s right hand injury, which is in the thumb area.
Angel Perdomo has a flexor strain in his left forearm and his return this season is in doubt.
Carmen Mlodzinski will throw a bullpen session today or tomorrow to test his sore elbow.
MLB
Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will not throw again this season. He was removed from the first game of a doubleheader against the Reds yesterday and did play the second game as a designated hitter. The team is unsure whether or not he will need surgery.
Angels GM Perry Minasian is hopeful Ohtani can pitch again.
Ohtani is 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA this season. The Angels’ other superstar, Mike Trout, was placed back on the injured list yesterday after just one game of his return from hamate bone removal surgery in his hand.
ALTOONA CURVE
Matt Fraizer had four hits and Aaron Shortridge’s blazing August continued as Altoona clouted Akron, 8-1. Shortridge is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA this month after going five innings and giving up just one run last night. Joe Perez homered and Andres Alvarez and Will Matthiessen each had two hits.
Jackson Wolf starts for the Curve tonight.
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