Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez has been placed on the team’s 15 day disabled list with an injured right quad.
This has been a lingering injury for Alvarez, who missed four games earlier this month. He was able to return and start 7 of the next 9, but the team held him out of Friday’s contest against the Detroit Tigers.
The Pirates did not think Alvarez was progressing with the limited rest; the team hopes the DL trip gives him time to fully recover.
After his slow start, Alvarez’s injury was not the only thing concerning Pittsburgh. The third baseman’s line of .208/.283/.304 over 36 games apparently had some surrounding the team question if it wouldn’t be best for Alvarez to work on his swing at the AAA level.
However, it appears GM Neil Huntington wasn’t considering a demotion. In a recent chat on MLB.com, the general manager explained his thinking on the situation.
“While we would like all young players to arrive at the Major League level and perform immediately, more often than not there are struggles in the early part of their careers. Pedro struggled early last year after his call up, but made adjustments and swung the bat very well the last 4 – 6 weeks of the season. The league has adjusted to him and it is now his turn to adjust back to the league.”
The Buccos swapped one Pedro for another, calling up Pedro Ciriaco to fill Alvarez’s roster spot. Pittsburgh will likely use former top prospect Brandon Wood as their third baseman while Alvarez is on the DL.