Tucker drops switch-hitting

Results just not there from right side

When Cole Tucker stepped up to pinch-hit for the Pirates Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, it didn’t make much sense strategically.

The Dodgers had lefthander Julio Urias on the mound, who dominates left-handed hitters. Tucker is a switch-hitter, but he was pinch-hitting for outfielder Jake Marisnick, a right-handed hitter.

Even more curiously, Tucker stepped into the left-handed batter’s box, setting up an unfavorable left-on-left matchup.

As it turned out, Marisnick had injured his left hand on a tremendous diving catch in the top of the fourth inning, so Tucker was required to sub in defensively. But it still begged the question: Why step in left-handed?

Turns out it’s a permanent change for Tucker. He is a career .192 hitter from the right side, and at a certain point, enough was enough.

“I’m tired of getting the bat shoved up my butt right- handed, bluntly,” Tucker told reporters Tuesday. “I just want to give myself the best chance I can to succeed, and right now I think that’s lefthanded.”

Manager Derek Shelton conceded that the situation was an awfully tough ask for Tucker, especially against Urias, but Marisnick’s injury forced his hand. It just so happened to be the debut of Tucker’s new left-on-left approach.

To be fair, something has to give with Tucker’s offense if he’s going to carve out a future role with the Pirates. Even lefthanded, he has hit just .218 over his career. The positive stretches he has experienced have been few and far between since he made his debut in 2019.

“Just like baseball, the results dictate and change everything and change how you feel on a day-to-day basis,” Tucker said. “The last time I seriously tried to quit hitting right-handed was probably when I was in like Double-A. So it’s been a few years, but the game was kind of showing me that that might be the right decision, and I just feel like going for it.”

Marisnick to IL

The diagnosis on Marisnick’s hand turned out to be worse than originally thought. He immediately winced and grabbed his glove hand after securing his circus catch in the fourth, but went on to take an at-bat in the bottom of the fifth.

After leaving the game, the Pirates discovered that Marisnick had injured his thumb. He was placed on the 10- day injured list Tuesday, and right-handed pitcher Max Kranick was called up to take his spot on the active roster.

In Marisnick’s stead, Ben Gamel, Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski likely will man the outfield in most games moving forward.

Whenever Kranick enters another game for the Pirates, it will be his second appearance this season after pitching two scoreless innings Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. He was the 27th man on the roster, called up for that day’s doubleheader. Kranick pitched to a 6.28 ERA in 38 ⅔ innings last season.

Around the horn

Right- hander Duane Underwood Jr. seems poised to return to the Pirates in the near future. On Monday, he was in Pittsburgh, going through a workout for trainers. On Tuesday, he was sent to Altoona for a rehab outing, where Shelton said he would pitch one inning. … Catcher Roberto Perez was still meeting with doctors, and there was no official prognosis on the severity of his left hamstring injury. Shelton confirmed that Perez will “miss significant time.”