Black and Gold: Rest is best for Andrew McCutchen

By Chris Mueller Special to The Times

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

May 5, 2015

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) bats against the Cardinals in the 14th inning of Sunday's game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. McCutchen, who has battled a knee injury early in the season, is currently batting below .200. (AP)

Andrew McCutchen is hurt. That much is obvious to most people that watch him play. McCutchen and the Pirates can downplay the state of his health all they want, but it is clear to my eyes that something is off, and it isn’t the kind of ailment that he should play through.

Certain advanced metrics suggest not much has changed about McCutchen. His average fly ball distance is the same as it was last year. He still looks good sprinting out of the box. He beat out an infield grounder for his 1,000th career hit. By those indicators, nothing is wrong. It would be easy to chalk up his start as another rough April for a historically slow starter.

Other numbers and other eye tests paint a different picture. McCutchen hasn’t stolen a base this year. He’s only attempted to do so one time. This from a guy whose worst career steal total was last season, when he swiped 18 bags. What’s more, he doesn’t appear to be turning on mistake pitches and is not hammering fastballs to the opposite field. He has been the king of the near-miss so far in 2015.

So much of what makes McCutchen special is his ability to generate bat speed and handle pitches everywhere in the zone. When he’s right, he covers the plate with aplomb and is able to outduel pitchers even when they put the ball where they want it. At worst, he is able to waste pitches and draw walks. His walk rate is down this year, and with it his ability to hit the ball with authority.

McCutchen needs to rest.

McCutchen needs a stint on the disabled list. He spoke of his knee issue in spring training, and termed it something he would have to play through and deal with all season. Clearly, he isn’t dealing with it well at this point.

The Pirates would be wise to sit McCutchen and give him time off. Yes, all games are equal in importance, and the Cardinals are already threatening to run away with the division, but if he rests now, there will be more time to make up games when he gets back. The longer the Pirates wait, the more they put themselves in a pinch.

Rest may not completely alleviate McCutchen’s issues, but it can’t hurt. Plus, he’s not helping the Pirates right now. He’s a void in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, and teams are starting to realize that he’s not the dangerous force of previous years. It is not tough to imagine a player, even one as mentally tough as McCutchen, starting to press when things aren’t going his way.

It is fair to wonder if the Pirates wouldn’t have already made a move to rest their superstar if Travis Snider were still on the team. Andrew Lambo is their fourth outfielder, and even a clearly diminished McCutchen is a better option than Lambo, who is currently hitting a robust .040, or 1 for the season. The Snider trade looks worse and worse with every passing game.

Despite the disheartening nature of the Pirates’ sweep at the hands of St. Louis, the season is far from lost. There is plenty of time to make up ground in the NL Central. The team, collectively struggling to hit, should be leaps and bounds better in that department. It is reasonable to assume that they will come around. The starting pitching has been exceptional, and Gerrit Cole is emerging as a real ace.

The biggest missing piece in this year’s puzzle is a healthy, fearsome superstar center fielder looming in the third spot in the lineup. The best way to get Andrew McCutchen back to being Andrew McCutchen is simple. The Pirates merely need to acknowledge the obvious, admit he is hurt, and give the man a break.

Chris Mueller is the co-host of “The Starkey & Mueller Show” from 2-6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 The Fan.