McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Dodgers.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen's double was an integral part of a four-run first inning off starter Scott Kazmir, but he and the rest of the Pirates offense failed to generate much in the rest of the contest. The five-time All Star is having a subpar season by his lofty standards, but is starting to heat up a bit with a pair of multi-hit efforts in his last last three games after logging just one in his previous 16.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI Saturday against the Dodgers.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen led off the scoring for the Pirates with a solo shot in the first inning, and then gave the team the lead for good with his three-run shot in the sixth inning. This was only the second time he's homered in a game since May 27, and he now has 14 homers on the season.

McCutchen's thumb has played a role in his current slump, according to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in early June, but didn't miss much time as he played through the pain. Since the injury, he's hit .197 (14-for-71) in 19 games. The thumb has improved, but Sawchik says the injury led to poor results and a loss of confidence. Confidence doesn't appear to be an issue Saturday, as he's already hit two homers in consecutive at-bats against the Dodgers.

The Pirates could give McCutchen down time -- such as a three-game rest period -- if he doesn't snap out of his funk soon. "That could be an option down the road," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . "We've thought about a lot of different things, and we're trying them one at a time."

EDGE Analysis

The center fielder sat out Thursday's game, with David Freese serving as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter over McCutchen. "Freese has a much better on-base percentage (.370) right now (than McCutchen's .315)," Hurdle said. "Against right-handed pitching, there's a lot of numbers working to Freese's advantage." McCutchen is slashing .187/.247/.253 in 81 June plate appearances. His strikeout rate of 25 percent represents a career-worst mark.

McCutchen is out of the lineup Thursday against the Giants, the Pittsburgh Tribune's Rob Biertempfel reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran will get the day game off Thursday, as the Pirates look to do anything that will get him going at the dish. His slash line has fallen to .238/.315/.401, and while he got off to a slow start in 2015 as well, he had already turned things around at this point last year. Gregory Polanco will start in center field and hit third while Matt Joyce and Sean Rodriguez occupy the outfield corners.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double and a homer in a 6-4 loss to the Mets on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

He'd been 0-for-15 over the prior four games, so it's nice to see this from McCutchen, but performances of this ilk have been few and far between for him this year. His last three-hit game was nearly a full month ago (May 17) and he's still carrying an abysmal .242/.319/.418 line with a reasonable total of 10 homers, but only one steal all season.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double and his 10th homer Thursday against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

The home run was his first since May 27, while his double hit off the left field fence -- a hopeful sign of things to come. McCutchen, who batted third in the lineup for the second straight game, entered Thursday with one extra-base hit in the month of June.

McCutchen batted third in the lineup for the first time in 2016 on Wednesday, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

EDGE Analysis

He's currently in an 0-for-17 slump and is slashing .140/.204/.160 in 50 at-bats during June. McCutchen's 24.9 percent strikeout rate is well above his career mark of 17.7 percent but the Pirates are hoping a move into a more comfortable three-hole will jumpstart the centerfielder's season. He says he's fully recovered from a thumb injury, but the results just aren't there.

McCutchen went 2-for-8 with a double in Tuesday's twinbill against the Mets. He also struck out four times.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen is wearing a guard to protect his thumb, but it's obvious he's less than 100 percent at the plate. In a perfect world, the team would rest the center fielder for at least a couple games. Starling Marte's absence from the lineup make that scenario unlikely, however. McCutchen has struck out two times in each of the last four games and holds a .759 OPS -- the lowest mark of his career.

McCutchen is out of the lineup SUnday against the Angels.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen will get a rare day off -- in fact, it is just his second since the beginning of May. Although the center fielder is starting to bounce back from some early-season struggles, he is just 2-for-14 over four games since the beginning of June. While he takes a seat, Starling Marte will cover for him in center, while Matt Joyce gets the nod in right with Gregory Polanco in left.