With Injured Players On The Mend, The Lineup Looks To Rebuild

Since the beginning of the 2021 season, one thing the Pittsburgh Pirates have had to constantly deal with his injuries. As those players get on the mend, we look at how their return affects the Pirate's starting lineup.

Since day two of the 2021 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been experiencing injury problems. They lost arguably their most exciting player to watch when Ke'Bryan Hayes injured his wrist on a swing. Since then, the Pirates have lost Colin Moran, Phillip Evans, Chad Kuhl, Trevor Cahill, and Ka'ai Tom all to injury. The effect has taken a drastic toll on the Pirate's starting lineup and has left then with some very inexperienced hitters getting considerable playing time. Looking at the starting lineup on Sunday, the Pirates only had three players who had batting averages over the .250 mark. The next closest was Jacob Stallings at .248 and after that, it was .209 or lower. When you are constantly throwing out a lineup with underperforming or inexperienced players, it doesn't usually bode well for getting a lot of wins.

However, there is some hope coming for the Pirates as many of their players are on the mend and in rehab stints. Just last night, Ke'Bryan Hayes was back to his old tricks in Indianapolis, going 2-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBI. Chad Kuhl had a three-inning scoreless start in his rehab stint, and the Pirates are saying that both Moran and Evans could be eligible to come off the injured list without rehab stints. Once those guys get back in the lineup, it will make the offense a little more of a formidable opponent and will bring some much-needed experience to the lineup. Today, we look at the players who are making a comeback on the offensive side of the ball, and how it affects the lineup overall.

Players on the Mend

The biggest player the Pirates are hoping to see back on the field is third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. The odds on favorite for NL Rookie of the Year hurt his wrist in the second game of the year and went on the 10-day IL. However, after a series of roster moves, he was moved to the 60-day IL and is eligible to return on June 3rd. Until then, he will be on a rehab stint with Triple-A Indianapolis as he gets back to playing shape. Through his first two rehab games, Hayes has been killing the ball going 3-6 with a home run and two RBI. The Pirates can't wait to have Hayes's bat back in the upper third of their lineup as they look for more opportunities to drive in runs on a consistent basis.

In terms of power, the current Pirates lineup has none, aside from Gregory Polanco at times. One of the players who looks to provide that offense upon his return is first baseman, Colin Moran. Moran led the Pirates in home runs last season, with 10, and was tied for the team lead in home runs before his injury with four. Moran pulled his left groin back in a game on May 8th at Wrigley Field. At the time he went down, he was on fire hitting .375 with two RBI and had his season batting average up to .297. He will be a welcome addition back to the Pirates clean-up spot. It will be a battle between Moran and Craig at first base, but the Redbeard will be back soon and looking to lead the way in home runs.

Finally, the bench has been almost unnoticeable aside from the pinch-hitting ability of Wilmer Difo. They ended up losing a key piece to that bench when Phillip Evans went down with a hamstring injury. As he began to get more playing time, Evans's batting average suffered greatly. So, to counteract that, the best move for the Pirates may be to move Evans back to the utility role where he made his name for himself with the Pirates. Evans is a guy who can play both corner outfield positions, corner infield positions, and second base and brings with him pop to the bench with four home runs. While it won't be a move that affects the everyday lineup, it will be a welcome addition to a bench that has been desperate for producers.

How the Lineup Will Shape Up

The Pittsburgh Pirates starting lineup on their June 3rd game against the Miami Marlins is likely to look a lot different than the lineup they produced tonight. By then, all three of their major injuries on the offensive side should be back in the lineup, giving the team a pretty formidable one through six. Adam Frazier will continue to hit leadoff, and I could see Bryan Reynolds staying in the three spot. However, by then, we will likely see Hayes back in the lineup hitting second and Moran back in the clean-up spot. That gives the Pirates a one through six of Frazier, Hayes, Reynolds, Moran, Polanco, and Stallings. The only question among those six is Polanco as he can be streaky at times.

After adding those guys back in the lineup, the only other two spots you got to worry about it shortstop and left field. Kevin Newman has been hitting the ball more lately, and raised his batting average from the mid 100s, up to the current .209 mark. Then, there is the biggest question of who plays in left field. While Polanco and Reynolds have been set all year, it is the third outfield position that has been the revolving door. Currently, veteran Ben Gamel is getting the starts there, but he hasn't done anything to show that that is a position he has earned. When Ka'ai Tom comes back, look for him to be back out on the field rotating with Gamel until the Pirates find a better option than those two.

Overall, just getting some of these guys back healthy and in the lineup will be an improvement for this young team. Over the last several years, the injury bug has always seemed to hit the Pirates hard, and it took a big chomp out of the offense this season. However, the Pirates are lucky that none of the injuries have been extremely long-term (knock on wood) and most of their key players are back on the mend. Once those guys are back in the lineup, we can really evaluate where this Pirates team is. At the 46 game mark, the Pirates are just one win away from matching their season total last year in 14 fewer games. There is still a lot of improvement for this team to do, but even without their key pieces on offense, they are taking steps in the right direction.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (18-28) are off today but return to PNC Park on Tuesday night to take on the Chicago Cubs (24-22) at 6:35 pm. The Pirates have yet to name their starting pitcher for Tuesday night's game that will match up against Jake Arietta (4-4, 4.46) for the Cubs. You can watch the game on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.