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Getting harder to defend Cutch

Commentary

PITTSBURGH — Batting third for the Pirates … Andrew McCutchen. But for how much longer?

How long can manager Clint Hurdle continue to use a prime lineup spot on a player who is struggling to keep his batting average above .200?

The Pirates are undoubtedly hoping for a breakout from McCutchen. He’s always been a slow starter. He was well below his normal levels for two thirds of last season, then things kicked in over the last couple of months.

No doubt that raised hope that McCutchen would pick up where he left off and start this season hitting better.

It hasn’t happened. Seven weeks into the season, he’s struggling.

The Pirates don’t have a lot of realistic lineup flexibility. Jung Ho Kang and Starling Marte are unavailable. Gregory Polanco is currently on the disabled list. David Freese just returned from a three-week stay on the DL.

Those players are all reasonable alternatives for No. 3 spot in the order, but they’re either not herle or have been unable to play recently.

Adam Frazier and Josh Harrison fit at the top of the order. Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer haven’t managed averages much higher than McCutchen’s. At least McCutchen has hit some home runs, driven in runs and drawn some walks.

But he clearly hasn’t been at the All-Star level he provided prior to last season.

What’s a manager to do? In Hurdle’s case, he’ll probably have to wait until Marte returns on July 19. That could push McCutchen further down.

Josh Bell could hit higher in the order, but that’s a burden to put on a rookie who is still at the start of a major league learning curve. Freese is a possibility, too, but he’s 34 and can’t be over-used at this stage of his career.

It’s definitely a dilemma for Hurdle. Even if he’d like to have someone else hit in the middle of the order, he doesn’t have a lot of realistic choices.

Pre-emptive choice

Now it makes sense. The Steelers used a draft pick on a long snapper because veteran Greg Warren has some sort of physical issue that forced him to retire.

So why didn’t the Steelers draft a tight end? They apparently had some inkling that Ladarius Green wouldn’t be able to pass a physical, which led to his being cut from the roster after one season that saw him play in seven games.

The Steelers have holdover tight ends, headed by Jesse James and Xavier Grimble, but having that group is what led them to pursue Green as a free agent a year ago.

Meanwhile, Green wound up costing them $6 million in salary and represents a cap hit just over $3.5 million for this season. Plus the need still exists for an experienced tight end.

It was a rare misstep for an organization that usually is smart in its limited forays into free agency.

Coming back?

Martavis Bryant said Tuesday that he hasn’t smoked marijuana in a year.

Good for him if he hopes to continue playing in the NFL. He also said he gets tested three times a week and meets with a counselor twice a week.

If Bryant can stay eligible this season, it will be a major boost to the Steelers’ passing game. Unfortunately, past transgressions have put him deep into the NFL’s disciplinary system, which means the Steelers can’t really count on him for the long term.

They correctly judged his talent, but missed on gauging his maturity.

Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com

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