The Pittsburgh Pirates will have to play out their 2023 season without veteran designated hitter Andrew McCutchen. The five-time All-Star reportedly has a partial Achilles tear.
The Pirates have announced on Wednesday that McCutchen was placed on a 10-day Injured List retroactively from September 5th but didn’t provide more details. According to Pirates’ beat writer Justice Delos Santos, McCutchen will be required to be in a walking booth for at least six weeks.
Pittsburgh’s regular season ends in four weeks, and the team has virtually no chance to get to the postseason considering their 65-75 record to this point.
McCutchen suffered the injury during Monday’s 4-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. He limped to the dugout but initially said he was “fine.” However, further test revealed the Achilles tear.
The 36-year-old has been in fine form this season, hitting .256 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs in 112 games. McCutchen will become a free agent at the end of the season but has previously expressed interest in extending his stay with the franchise that gave him his MLB debut in 2009.
McCutchen spent the first nine years of his career in the majors with the Pirates, being selected an All-Star five times and earning NL MVP honors in 2013. He later played with the San Francisco Giants, the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Brewers before returning to Pittsburgh ahead of this season.
