Pirates Down An Outfielder

Added on Jun 27, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

The injury that forced Pirates left fielder Jose Tabata to exit yesterday’s loss to the Red Sox has been diagnosed as a left quad strain. He is likely headed to the disabled list, although his status has yet to be determined. He could be seen clutching his leg in obvious pain as he was carted from the field in the first inning of the Pirates 4-2 defeat.

The 22-year-old second year player has been a pleasant surprise for the Bucs. The once prized Yankees prospect is hitting .265 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 71 games. His average is second best among everyday players; only Andrew McCutchen’s .285 is higher. Tabata’s also shown good speed running the bases with 14 steals in 20 attempts.

As a rookie in 2010, he batted .299 with four home runs, 21 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 102 games. He finished tied for eighth in voting for NL Rookie of the Year.

Pittsburgh has recalled outfielder Alex Presley from Triple-A to fill the void. Presley hasn’t had a big league plate appearance in 2011, but he’s hitting .333 with eight homers and 18 steals with Indianapolis. He, along with Matt Diaz and Xavier Paul will probably platoon while Tabata is sidelined.

The Pirates — who haven’t had a winning season since 1992 and are coming off a 2010 campaign that saw them drop 105 games — are enjoying a surprisingly competitive season thus far. They are tied for third in the NL Central at 39-38, only four games behind division-leading Milwaukee.

Much of their success can be attributed to a pitching staff that sits ninth in baseball with a team ERA of 3.48. Starter Jeff Karstens ranks fifth in the National League with a 2.66 ERA.

They’ve won four of their last five, including taking two of three from Boston over the weekend. Tonight they begin a three-game set on the road versus the Blue Jays.

Source: ESPN.com