McCutchen (thumb) went 1-for-4 with a hard-hit single to left field Friday.

EDGE Analysis

The center fielder is wearing a thumb guard to help protect further injury and it looks as though he'll continue playing through the injury. McCutchen whiffed two more times Friday, giving him an uncharacteristically poor 4:21 BB:K in his last 19 games.

McCutchen (thumb) is in the lineup Friday and hitting second against the Angels.

EDGE Analysis

He aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in Thursday's game, but will attempt to play through any lingering discomfort. McCutchen probably isn't 100 percent healthy, so that should be noted when contemplating deploying him in daily leagues, but with Jered Weaver and his 5.40 ERA on the mound for the Angels, it's an appealing matchup nonetheless.

McCutchen aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in Thursday's game against the Marlins, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Fortunately, McCutchen told MLB.com's Adam Berry that he didn't consider the issue to be one that would require a stint on the disabled list. However, thumb injuries can obviously affect a player's ability to grip the bat, so McCutchen may have to battle through more discomfort until the soreness eventually subsides. He figures to be back in the lineup Friday, but if Clint Hurdle opts to give the star outfield the day off, Starling Marte could slide over to center while Matt Joyce takes over in left.

McCutchen left Thursday's game in the sixth inning with right thumb discomfort.

EDGE Analysis

After lining out to short in the top of the sixth, McCutchen was replaced in center field by Starling Marte in the bottom of the frame, with Sean Rodriguez taking over in left field. The Pirates have not given any hint as to the severity of the injury, so McCutchen's availability for Friday's series opener against the Angels and the rest of the weekend is uncertain.

McCutchen was lifted from Thursday's game in the bottom of the sixth inning, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

There was nothing obvious that led to McCutchen's departure, but considering the context -- the Pirates were being no-hit at the time of his exit -- it seems some sort of ailment is in play. Starling Marte moved to center field to replace McCutchen as Sean Rodriguez came into the game to man left.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Rangers on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

The center fielder continues to struggle this season with a career-low .803 OPS in 194 at-bats, but he seems to be figuring this out of late. McCutchen has hit safely in nine of the past 11 games, and even though he's hit a mere .244 over that span, the fact that he's making contact suggests his numbers should improve sooner than later.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI against the Rangers on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Both of his hits were of the opposite field variety, a good sign, though he whiffed his other three trips to the plate. In fact, his current strikeout rate (23.3 percent) is much higher than his career rate (17.6 percent) and his .811 OPS is the lowest in eight seasons.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a run and two strikeouts against Arizona on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

The 2013 NL MVP has hit safely in six of his last seven games, and has gone 10-of-30 over that span. The talented center fielder has yet to gone in one of his patented streaks, but he seems to be heating up on May to the tune of a .294 average.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen has had a disappointing campaign by his lofty standards, but he's still very much a fantasy asset. While he hasn't been a threat on the base paths this season, the 2013 NL MVP should still score plenty of runs as an integral part of a top-five Pirates offense.

McCutchen is not in the lineup Saturday against the Rockies.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen will get a rare day off as the Pirates go up against Colorado right-hander Tyler Chatwood. Starling Marte will get the nod in center field, while Matt Joyce starts in right and Gregory Polanco starts in left.