McCutchen went 1-for-3 with a two-run single Wednesday night in Philadelphia. He also stole his second base in the last seven games. McCutchen is driving the ball once again and fantasy owners are breathing a sigh of relief.

McCutchen launched his third homer -- a two-run shot -- Tuesday against Philadelphia. He's batting .409 (9-for-22) with five extra-base hits in his last six games. McCutchen has a homer and five hits in 19 at-bats against Wednesday starter, Cole Hamels, and is showing few signs of a left knee ailment which has hampered him throughout the early season.

McCutchen has two homers and three hits in six career at-bats against Monday starter, Jerome Williams. He enters Monday's tilt riding a four-game streak of doubles, as the power seems to be returning for the center fielder. McCutchen is batting .275 with an OPS of .701 in nine May games as he works his way around knee issues.

McCutchen was 2-for-5 with a run scored in a losing cause against St. Louis on Friday night. The notable part of this is the fact that he now has five hits over his last two games. McCutchen has struggled since Opening Day and the five hits only raised his average to .219 but its possible his bat is coming to life. The perennial all-star won't stay down long, and when he does break out, the numbers could be jaw-dropping.

McCutchen reached base four times Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. The outfielder also stole his first bag of the year, but it was an uncontested swipe of third base. McCutchen has three hits in nine lifetime at-bats against Friday starter, Michael Wacha.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a single Wednesday against the Reds. He misplayed a Todd Frazier double into a triple and generally continued in the malaise that's gotten him off to a miserable start. McCutchen now holds a .188/.279/.292 line while playing in pain with an injured right knee.

Manager Clint Hurdle believes that there's a fixable disconnect in McCutchen's swing. "It's just getting that swing connected, where that foot goes down, and there's a positive, strong turn to the ball," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's just not happening the way he wants it to." The center fielder went 0-for-4 Tuesday, dropping his batting line to .185/.280/.293 in 107 plate appearances. McCutchen, who seemed to run more confidently over the weekend in St. Louis, has no answers for his poor start. "If I knew, I'd be able to tell you," he said. "If I knew, I'd be hitting. I'm seeing the ball well, recognizing it, but right now I'm not squaring up balls the way I should." It remains to be seen if he can figure out a way to successfully compensate for a less-than-healthy left knee or if a stint on the disabled list might help the former NL MVP.

McCutchen is listed in Saturday's lineup despite tweaking his knee Friday in St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. He limped off the field after sliding awkwardly into second base during the ninth inning. "When I slid, my knee jammed into the base pretty hard," McCutchen said. "It wasn't comfortable, but after I gave it a little time to warm up, it was OK. I'm all right." McCutchen has two hits in three lifetime at-bats against Saturday starter, John Lackey.

McCutchen ended April with a .194 batting average in 72 at-bats, marking just the second time in his career he hit under .200 for an entire month. He looks to build upon Wednesday's game in which he went 2-for-5 with a two-run triple. McCutchen has shown off his sprinter's-like speed more frequently in recent games, a good sign, but it might not be too wise to expect much from him Friday. The center fielder is batting .143 (5-for-35) with 13 strikeouts against St. Louis starter, Lance Lynn.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 against the Cubs on Tuesday. Another game, another fly out to the center-field warning track for the outfielder with just two home runs in 67 at-bats. McCutchen was able to sprint down the first base line on a routine ground out, which may not sound like much, but it's an encouraging sign considering his early-season knee issues.