To say Andrew McCutchen is growing tired of wearing fastballs in his rib cage and on his left elbow would be an understatement. During Saturday's 8-4 win against the Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder was hit by a pitch for the eighth time this season and the 27th time over the past three seasons.
Braves pitcher Julio Teheran struck McCutchen in the left elbow with a fastball on a 1–1 count in the first inning, which forced McCutchen from the game. He quickly underwent X-rays, which came back negative for a fracture. Mentally, though, the latest incident definitely took a toll and had McCutchen wondering what he could do to better protect himself moving forward.
Via the Associated Press:
"Maybe I need to dropkick a pitcher,'' McCutchen said after Saturday's game. ''Maybe that will scare them into not throwing at me."
He was joking, we think, but the next pitcher who beans him might want to consider that comment.
It's an angry clubhouse, and we're guessing the basis for it all really came last August when McCutchen was drilled in the ribs by Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Randall Delgado. The pitch was clearly in retaliation for the broken hand All-Star Paul Goldschmidt suffered earlier in the series on a HBP, and it ended up costing McCutchen two weeks with a broken rib.
From a more realistic perspective, McCutchen did indicate that adding an elbow pad to protect his lead arm might be a start.
The problem there, of course, is getting familiar with it and comfortable at the plate after years of swinging without a pad. It may sound like a good plan, but will it be more of a distraction than a help?
At this point, the Pirates probably just want to see him stay healthy. If that means sacrificing some comfort, so be it.
Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see how this story develops.
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