Pirates Tabata Diagnosed with Quad Strain

The Pirates have announced that outfielder Jose Tabata is dealing with a strained left quad.  Tabata received the diagnosis today, but the team has yet to place the 22 year old on the disabled list.

During yesterday’s series finale against the Red Sox, Tabata led off the bottom half of the first attempting to bunt for a hit.  He was able to let it out, but pulled up soon after crossing the bag.  Tabata ended up collapsing in shallow right field and had to be carted off the field.

The youngster has improved each month for Pittsburgh, to the point where he’s been able to produce an average of .295 in June.  On the year Tabata’s maintained a line of .265/.351/.354.

While the team hasn’t yet placed their left fielder on the DL, Pittsburgh has announced it’s called up outfielder Alex Presley for its series in Toronto.  To make room for Presley, the Pirates optioned Pedro Ciriaco back to the minors.

Presley was impressive in 2010 as a member of the Pirates Double and Triple-A squads.  Between the two levels Presley held an average of .320 to go along with his 53 extra-base hits and 85 runs batted in.  So far in Triple-A this season, the 25 year old has put up a line of .336/.389/.500 with 18 stolen bases.

Pittsburgh appears set to use Presley as their DH and possibly in the outfield during their series against the Blue Jays.

"“He continues to get better, he continues to understand what he can do as a hitter, what his strengths are in the batter’s box, on the bases, defensively,” general manager Neal Huntington said of Presley before Sunday’s game. “He obviously had a tremendous first half of the year down there in Triple-A and has forced his way up here and we’ll see where we go big picture. He’s certainly earned every opportunity he’s going to get up here.”"