Tonight's Pirates lineup is posted and Pedro Alvarez is in it. He is playing third and hitting 7th. That is good news in my eyes, because honestly I have been questioning why they haven't been him more often since his recall earlier this month.
Over the last six games, Alvarez has started three of them. I understand that the Pirates want to continue to get Josh Harrison and Brandon Wood playing time, but I think it makes more sense to let Alvarez start every day for the rest of the season.
There is really nothing more important to the future of this Pirates team than the bat of Alvarez. He's not going to turn it around in two weeks of playing time, but it is going to do him more good than having him ride the bench will. This season is over and the Pirates need to do everything they can to make Alvarez a better player in 2012.
That probably involves him playing some winter ball, which we are all hoping helps him at the plate substantially because he has just been miserable this year at pretty much every level. It bas been an extremely disheartening season for Alvarez, and overall it is probably the worst non-injury thing that could have happened to the Pirates.
Alvarez will probably hit .200 the rest of the way out with the small amount of at-bats that he gets, but I feel that is very important to at least get as many plate appearances as he can.
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