The Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen is back in the lineup today after leaving yesterday’s game against the Rays with a wrist injury. Fortunately, then, it appears the star center fielder’s injury wasn’t especially serious.
As for pitcher James McDonald, it sounds like we’ll have to continue to wait for news.
James McDonald is not doing any on-field work on Saturday, he said, after leaving Friday’s game with discomfort in his left side. McDonald said he isn’t entirely sure when he’d be cleared to do light work again. The Pirates sent out a statement saying he will be re-evaluated over the next few days. McDonald said he was unsure whether he’d have to miss a spring start or not. No other specifics on the injury have been given.
If McDonald isn’t even sure he’s going to miss a start, it doesn’t sound like we should worry about this too much, and injuries to a pitcher’s side aren’t particularly fearsome. It looks like the Pirates may have dodged a pair of bullets here.