Duffy’s MLB future depends on his health

There has to be a spot on a major league roster somewhere for Chris Duffy.

If he’s healthy.

Duffy is one of the five-best defensive center fielders in the game. He is absolutely fantastic with the glove, which he proved for the Pirates the past two years and with the Curve in 2003 and ’04.

Unfortunately, Duffy is back with the Curve on a rehab assignment because he’s not healthy. He underwent left shoulder surgery in August and didn’t a play a game for more than nine months before joining Altoona on Sunday.

Duffy is now healthy enough to play, but he still has a ways to go before his shoulder returns to 100 percent. He’s in the 80s percent-wise, now, he said, and the 28-year-old’s future will depend on how his shoulder responds in the long term.

In the short term, Duffy can spend a maximum of 20 days with the Curve on a major league rehab assignment. Where he ends up after those 20 days could go a long way in revealing how the Pirates view Duffy and his future in the organization.

‘‘Right now, I’m planning to be here 20 days,’’ Duffy said after going 1-for-3 in five innings of action Tuesday against Reading. ‘‘If something happens before that, great. When the 20 days are up and things start to happen, I’ll deal with it then.’’

When the rehab stint concludes, the Pirates could activate Duffy from the major league disabled list, then option him to the Curve. He does have one option remaining.

The Bucs may keep him in Double-A for one of two reasons:

1. They feel like Duffy isn’t healthy enough yet to go to Triple-A, or

2. They have no room in the Triple-A outfield, which includes center fielders Andrew McCutchen and Nyjer Morgan and right fielder Steve Pearce.

The reality is the Bucs have at least two and maybe three center fielders ahead of Duffy now. Nate McLouth is having a terrific season in Pittsburgh, and McCutchen is considered the future of the organization. It’s debatable if Morgan would be valued more by the Bucs at this point.

Duffy, the Pirates’ opening-day center fielder the past two seasons, said he ‘‘couldn’t be happier for Nate,’’ his friend and primary competition who’s hitting .296 with 15 homers and 47 RBIs.

‘‘To see what he’s doing is great,’’ Duffy said. ‘‘Even the last few years when we were up there playing together, we’ve always talked with each other and leaned on each other a little bit.

‘‘For me, I’m not looking at him like, ’oh, that puts me out.’ I’m trying to get back to the big leagues.’’

To do so, Duffy’s shoulder will have to improve and hold up. The latter part is not an easy thing for a center fielder, especially one like Duffy who goes all out by diving or crashing into walls.

‘‘The only real concern is just getting his arm healthy and getting him ready to play every day,’’ Curve manager Tim Leiper said. ‘‘I think peace of mind is going to be the biggest deal for him, just making his arm feel good.’’

Duffy is still getting his legs in shape after not playing for so long and has yet to go a full nine innings. He doesn’t want to push it too much one day that he’s too fatigued to play the next.

He didn’t have the luxury of spring training, so he’s facing live pitching for the first time. A long layoff makes it tough to get the timing down, he noted, particularly against fastballs.

‘‘He can always swing the bat,’’ Leiper said. ‘‘Duff can hit. You just get him as much work in as he wants, as he needs, as he’s ready for.’’

When he’s ready — and assuming the Pirates still believe he can help them — cracking the big league roster won’t be easy for Duffy. The trio of McLouth, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady make up one of the most productive outfields in the game this season.

‘‘If any other guy would be in the position I’m in, I really don’t think it would matter who you are, it would be tough to break in with those three,’’ Duffy said.

He may never again beat out McLouth or McCutchen in Pittsburgh, but Duffy already has proven he belongs on a major league roster. Again, that’s if he’s healthy.

That part of it is out of Duffy’s hands and squarely on his left shoulder.

Cory Giger is at 949-7031 and cgsports12@aol.com.