Pirates recalled OF Alex Presley from Triple-A Indianapolis. Presley was banished to the farm last month after posting a woeful .220/.246/.305 batting line over his first 125 plate appearances. He rebounded in Indy, batting .277 with five homers, 14 RBI, four stolen bases and a 1.015 OPS in 18 games. The 26-year-old is a worthy pickup in NL-only formats.

Pirates optioned OF Alex Presley to Triple-A Indianapolis. Presley was a popular sleeper in drafts this spring after being a nice surprise in a small sample last year, but he has flopped big-time thus far, hitting just .220/.246/.305 with two homers, a .551 OPS an ugly 30/4 K/BB ratio over 125 plate appearances. Nate McLouth and Yamaico Navarro figure to see an uptick in playing time while Presley tries to get back on track in the minors. Starling Marte could be an option eventually.

Alex Presley is out of the Pirates' lineup for the second straight day Wednesday. Presley has just three hits in his last 28 at-bats, so he may continue to lose playing time if his struggles continue. Yamaico Navarro will make the start in left field Wednesday and bat sixth against left-hander Ross Detwiler.

Alex Presley went 2-for-5 with an RBI in the Pirates' 4-2 victory over the Braves on Saturday. Presley has been highly useful in the early part of the season, with tonight's two-hit effort raising his average to .303. He's already scored nine runs on the season, which is impressive considering that the Pirates as a team have only scored 46 times all season. Presley appears locked in and secure as the Pirates' lead-off hitter, and should be a solid source of average, runs and stolen bases all season long.

Alex Presley led off the game with an inside-the-park home run, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cardinals on Friday. Presley finished the game 1-for-4, with his HR accounting for all of the Pirates' scoring in the game. He's hitting a respectable .275 (14-for-51) to start the year and is doing a good job setting the table at the top of the lineup. Now the heart of the order just needs to do a better driving him in, as he's only scored four times thus far.

Alex Presley went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and three runs scored in the Pirates' 17-6 rout of the Twins on Thursday. Jose Tabata opened the spring as the Pirates' leadoff hitter, with Presley batting second, but those two have switched roles recently. It shouldn't make a whole lot of difference for either the Pirates offense or for fantasy leaguers, as both are expected to be full-timers regardless. Presley is having a terrific spring so far, having hit .429 with two homers in 28 at-bats.

Alex Presley went 3-for-3 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 10-3 win over the Orioles' split-squad team. Presley collected an RBI infield single in the second and an RBI triple to the right-center field gap in the fourth. The 26-year-old outfielder batted .298/.339/.465 with four homers, 20 RBI, nine stolen bases and an .804 OPS over 52 games last season and could make for a sneaky sleeper in NL-only and deeper mixed leagues.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said Alex Presley will be given every chance to start in left field this season. The Pirates brought back Nate McLouth, but Presley will be the regular left fielder unless he has a terrible spring training. The 26-year-old batted .298/.339/.465 with four homers, 20 RBI and nine steals over 215 at-bats for the Bucs in 2011. He's better suited as a fourth outfielder, but, with regular playing time, he has enough ability to help NL-only leaguers.

Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that the Pirates are not locked into Alex Presley as their starting left fielder next season. Presley showed well with the Bucs in 2011 after being called up from Triple-A, batting .298/.339/.465 with four homers, 20 RBI and nine steals over 215 at-bats. Ideally, though, the 26-year-old would be the team's fourth outfielder. Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata are locked into the other two starting outfield spots.

Alex Presley is not in the Pirates' lineup for Wednesday's season finale due to a sore back. Presley went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and three RBI on Monday, then 2-for-4 with an RBI on Tuesday. But all that heavy lifting has left him sore. The 26-year-old outfielder should be in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot in 2012.