Andrew McCutchen must sit down if hurt

Talk about a sentence I never thought I would write.

Yet here we are. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 11-10 on the young season, and Andrew McCutchen is almost unrecognizable, currently going through what he describes as a “mini-slump.” According to MLB.com’s Tom Singer, McCutchen thinks it’s only a matter of time before he breaks out:

"“That’s baseball … it’s a game of adjustments. I’ll get there, it’s a matter of time,” McCutchen said. “I’m not focused on the outcome, just on the feeling. And I’m feeling good, so the outcome will be there. Long as I feel good, I’ll get good results.”"

Despite McCutchen seemingly talking himself into the fact that he may not be as hurt as he’s letting on, it’s clear to anyone who watches that Cutch is just not quite right since his onset of ‘lower body soreness‘ back in spring training. In fact, he even admitted as much back on April 11th. The extra-base hits aren’t there. He has not even attempted a steal in obvious running situations. When he does make contact he is not driving the ball. Finally, Andrew McCutchen himself recently stated in the Tribune Review that he is operating at about 80%.

So therefore – Andrew McCutchen must sit.

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Believe me, it’s not something i want to write anymore than it is something that you want to hear. Yet, shouldn’t we all be in agreement that Cutch should take a stint on the disabled list now rather than later? It’s really hard to say, partly due to the fact that this is uncharted territory for both McCutchen, Clint Hurdle, and the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Prior to last year’s beaning at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks that put him on the shelf, McCutchen played in a minimum of 154 games in four out of five full years in the major leagues. Even considering the injury last year, Cutch still played in 146 games.

Right now the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in an enviable position. Their chief divisional rival just lost their ace. Their division, while improved, is still one of the most winnable in all of baseball. Their offense, while struggling at times, can break out on any given night, even on nights when McCutchen does not contribute. Their starting pitching has been simply amazing. There will be no time better for Cutch to sit for a couple of weeks.

We all expect the athletes that we watch and root for to be tough. To sometimes play with pain while gritting their teeth and giving all the right answers after the games. In doing so, the line between bravado and foolishness is often blurred if not completely obscured, and McCutchen playing hurt is the latest example.

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