Pirates Place Andrew McCutchen on IL
After exiting Friday's game early, Andrew McCutchen was placed on the 10-day Injured List by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday due to left knee discomfort.
McCutchen suffered the injury in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park. After hitting a single, the veteran outfielder and designated hitter came up hobbled while running to first base. After being looked at by trainers, he was replaced by Ji Hwan Bae as a pinch runner. McCutchen was 1-for-4 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly that gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning
McCutchen, 37, had been dealing with knee pain leading into Friday. Across 101 games, the Pirates outfielder and DH was batting .235 with 16 home runs and 40 runs batted in through 378 at bats.
As the corresponding move to placing McCutchen on the IL, the Pirates called up infielder Alika Williams from Triple-A Indianapolis. Williams, 25, has appeared in 25 games for the Pirates this season. In Triple-A, Williams is batting .298 with 13 RBIs and a pair of stolen bases.
Pittsburgh also announced that left-handed relief pitcher Ryan Borucki is beginning a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Saturday night. Borucki, 30, had been on the 60-day IL since May due to triceps inflammation. The veteran left-hander has appeared in just four games this season and pitched 3.1 innings.
Last season, Borucki was 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 33 strikeouts across a career-high 38 appearances, including two starts. Borucki has also played for the Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays.
Pittsburgh will look to keep its momentum going on Saturday after snapping its 10-game losing streak. The Pirates host the Mariners for the second of a three-game series at 1:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park.
NATHANIEL MARRERO