Pirates place Andrew McCutchen on DL

You have to give reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates a lot of credit for trying. It has been over a week since McCutchen was intentionally hit by a pitch from Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randall Delgado in retaliation for Diamondbacks’ first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was hit by a pitch subsequently suffering a broken hand. Goldschmidt is out for the rest of the season. Now it appears that McCutchen may suffer a similar fate.

Seven days since the Pirates’ announced that McCutchen, 27, was not suffering from a left oblique strain but from an avulsion fracture involving the costochondral cartilage of the left 11th rib, the team has finally given into what most saw as inevitable. McCutchen has officially been placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 4.

The Pirates had kept McCutchen off the disabled list in hopes he would somehow improve, however not enough improvement has been seen in the past week to think that McCutchen can continue to remain on the active roster.

Right-handed pitcher Casey Sadler has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace McCutchen on the roster. Sadler was 9-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 18 starts and one complete game for Indianapolis.

McCutchen, who has been in the N.L. MVP talks for the third year in a row, was hitting  .311/.411/.536  with 32 doubles, five triples, 17 homers, 67 RBI and 17 steals, at the time of his injury.

The injury could not only have an impact on his position in the N.L. MVP race, it could also hurt the Pirates chances of returning to the postseason for the second year in a row.

The team currently stands 2.5 games behind the N.L. Central leading Milwaukee Brewers and are currently in line for the second N.L. wild card spot. So far there has been no mention of a timetable for McCutchen’s return.