McCutchen is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

With just three hits through his first six games of May, McCutchen will head to the bench Sunday for a scheduled day of rest. The former MVP has been a disappointment thus far in 2017 but hopefully Sunday's day off will allow the veteran outfielder to come back rejuvenated for the team's upcoming seven-game road trip through Los Angeles and Arizona.

McCutchen went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer Wednesday, accounting for all the Pirates' runs in a 4-2 loss to Cincinnati.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen is a remarkable case of consistency not adding up to significant potency, as he's now reached base safely in 22 straight games, and yet he's hitting just .256 in that span. That said, he's walking plentifully and all five of his home runs have come in the course of this streak. McCutchen's BABIP is awfully depressed at .240 right now, and even if it rebounds only to somewhere around last season's .297 rather than his career .330 mark, that'll return his average into more-than-respectable territory. His speed has faded, so it'll be important for McCutchen to hit for average to differentiate himself from the crowd of outfielders with 25-homer pop.

McCutchen extended his on-base streak to 16 games with an RBI double against the Cubs on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen is swinging at pitches outside the strike zone at a career-best rate of only 16 percent, though his 25 percent hard-contact rate represents a career low. At worst, it looks like he's put in a floor and probably won't decline much further in 2017. In fact, his slash line of .250/.326/.434 nearly mirrors that of 2016, when he hit .256/.336/.430.

McCutchen went 1-for-2 with a homer, a steal, two walks and two RBI in Saturday's loss against the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen got the Pirates on the board with his first-inning homer of a game they'd go on to lose. He's hitting just .262 this month, and based on a small sample size, he's looking like the same hitter he was during his disappointing 2016 campaign. Until he shows signs of a breakout, he'll be difficult to count on as a fantasy starter.

McCutchen, who will bat third Wednesday afternoon, has 12 hits in 25 career at-bats against starter Michael Wacha.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen is playing with a chip on his shoulder right now. He made several strong plays while patrolling center field for the first time in 2017 Tuesday. Given his career numbers against Wacha and an eight-game batting streak, McCutchen makes for an interesting choice Wednesday.

McCutchen will return to playing center field following Starlin Marte's 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, Bob Nightengale of the USA Today reports.

EDGE Analysis

The move back to center field should be fairly natural for McCutchen, as he'd spent his entire career at the spot prior to the 2017 season. However, whether or not McCutchen continues playing center field once Marte becomes eligible to return remains to be seen. Although his line is just .250/.291/.423 for the season, McCutchen has recorded a hit in eight consecutive games and notched six RBI over that span.

McCutchen launched a three-run home run -- his second homer in three games -- against the Cubs on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

He celebrated Jackie Robinson Day in style, moving past Barry Bonds for fourth place in career home runs among Pirates with 176. McCutchen also extended his batting streak to seven games (8-for-24).

McCutchen is batting .275/.370/.375 in 40 career at-bats against Saturday starter Jake Arrieta.

EDGE Analysis

Arrieta has faced McCutchen more times than any other batter in the majors. The outfielder is seeing fewer fastballs (50.6 percent) than last season (53.8) and more changeups (13.6 versus 10.4). He holds a league-average .100 ISO and holds a modest five-game hitting streak (7-for-20).

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 4-3 loss to Boston.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen is off to a mediocre start with just three runs, the home run, three RBI and a .250/.308/.361 slash line, and it's mildly concerning after he posted the worst campaign of his career in 2016. Still, McCutchen is locked into the heart of the order and deserves the benefit of the doubt considering his elite fantasy track record. It just might be unrealistic to expect him to fully rebound to his MVP level of production, and especially since the 30-year-old outfielder is probably nearing the end of his offensive prime.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with one walk and an RBI against Atlanta on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

He hit the ball with authority Friday and crushed a foul ball down the left field line with plenty of home run distance. His effort was particularly encouraging after an 0-for-9 start at Fenway Park. McCutchen also looked spry on the bases, as if he was looking to run when possible. It's only one game, but he played much better Friday in the home opener.