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Polanco moves back to right

From Mirror, wire reports

LOS ANGELES — The Pirates have decided to move Gregory Polanco back to right field on a full-time basis, manager Clint Hurdle announced before Tuesday night’s game against the Dodgers.

Polanco moved to left field this season as part of an outfield overhaul that also saw Starling Marte go to center and Andrew McCutchen to right. But with Marte suspended three months for violating baseball’s drug policy, McCutchen moved back to center field.

The Pirates continued to keep Polanco in left even with Marte gone, but his struggles defensively and offensively have been glaring.

“We’ve been watching things,” Hurdle told reporters in L.A., according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s done fine. Pretty average metrics in left. But we keep shuffling guys into right, and we’ve already got a guy who has played right pretty well. Half the games are on the road. Whoever we play in left field at home, we’re just going to back them up a little bit.”

Marte will return in July, and the Pirates will have to determine what they want to do with their outfield alignment once again, which could mean Polanco going back to left. Hurdle told reporters he hadn’t looked that far ahead as far as what will happen when Marte returns.

Polanco is off to a slow start offensively, with no home runs, only six RBIs and a .255 average entering play Tuesday. He hit 22 homers and drove in 86 last season

Bucs bats in whiff mode

LOS ANGELES — Chris Taylor hit a grand slam during a six-run first inning, Alex Wood and a pair of Los Angeles relievers combined for 17 strikeouts and the Dodgers rolled over the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-1 on Monday night.

Yasiel Puig added a solo homer in the first as the Dodgers jumped all over Trevor Williams (1-2), who was filling in for Jameson Taillon after he had surgery Monday for suspected testicular cancer.

In his fourth start, Wood (3-0) threw five scoreless innings, holding the Pirates to two hits and a walk while striking out a season-high 11. Ross Stripling allowed a run but also struck out five over three innings, and Adam Liberatore added a strikeout during a perfect ninth.

Williams made his first start of the season for the Pirates, replacing Jameson Taillon in the rotation. He allowed eight runs, seven hits and a walk over three innings.

Jose Osuna drove in Pittsburgh’s only run with a single in the sixth.

On deck

Tuesday night: The Pirates were tied at 2-2 in the top of the 7th inning with the Dodgers.

Tonight: Pittsburgh at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

Pitching matchup: Pittsburgh RHP Chad Kuhl (1-2) vs. Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (2-2)

TV: ROOT Sports

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