Andrew McCutchen was scratched from Monday's lineup after being hit in the lower abdomen during batting practice. The severity of the injury isn't yet known, but we should learn more about his status soon. McCutchen, 24, is batting .262/.368/.463 with 23 home runs, 89 RBI, 23 stolen bases and an .831 OPS this season.

Andrew McCutchen is not in Friday's lineup against the Dodgers. He is simply getting the day off. Alex Presley will make the start in center field Friday while Ryan Ludwick plays left field and Garrett Jones starts in right.

Andrew McCutchen went hitless Wednesday and is just 5-for-34 in September. McCutchen hit .291/.390/.505 with 14 homers and 15 steals in the first half. In 203 at-bats since, he's at .222/.330/.399 with eight homers and five steals. He's still had an excellent season, but he really hasn't helped his case for beating Justin Upton's deal in contract talks with the Pirates.

The Pirates and Andrew McCutchen are far apart in contract talks, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden. No need to fret, Pirates fans -- McCutchen can't hit the free agent market until after the 2015 season. Bowden writes that a six-year contract worth between $47-49 million, plus a club option, would be a fair deal for both sides. Such a deal would potentially buy out McCutchen's first three years of free agency. We assume that McCutchen and his representation would want more money under such as arrangement.

The Pirates have announced a three-year contract extension for GM Neal Huntington that includes a club option for 2015. Huntington has helped to restock the Pirates' farm system in recent drafts and also add some pieces that allowed the team to be NL Central contenders for three months. He recently locked up Jose Tabata with a long-term deal and is expected to pursue an extension for Neil Walker, as well.

Andrew McCutchen homered twice and drove in four runs on Wednesday, powering the Pirates to a 5-4 win over the Astros. McCutchen was just 2-for-17 this month coming into this evening. He took J.A. Happ deep for a solo shot in the first before tagging him for a three-run bomb in the fifth. The multi-homer night was his second of the season and fourth of his career.

Andrew McCutchen (hand) is in Saturday's lineup. McCutchen exited Friday's game in the first inning after being hit on the left hand by a pitch, but he was diagnosed only with a bruise and didn't end up having to miss a start. He'll wear some extra padding on the hand just to be safe.

Andrew McCutchen (hand) hasn't ruled out playing Saturday, but he's considered doubtful. McCutchen, who became a member of the 20-20 club on Tuesday, dodged a bullet Friday when exams revealed only a bone contusion in his left hand after he was hit by a pitch. "I've got to go up there with all kinds of padding and stuff next time," he said. "It seems like I'm constantly getting pounded inside, inside, inside."

No fracture was found in Andrew McCutchen's left hand. Good news. McCutchen left Friday's game against the Cubs after he was hit in the left wrist with a pitch. The early word is that he is just dealing with a contusion, but we wouldn't be surprised if he sits out the rest of the weekend.

Andrew McCutchen was forced from Pittsburgh's Friday afternoon game against the Cubs after taking a Ryan Dempster pitch off of his left wrist. McCutchen initially appeared as if he was going to stay in the game, so there's a good chance his removal was purely precautionary. Considering the Pirates' recent fade and the date on the calendar, however, he could end up missing a good chunk of games if the injury is anything other than minor. His status should be updated later today.