Starling Marte has returned to the starting lineup for the Pirates game against the Cardinals tonight. He will hit cleanup and play left field, returning to the lineup for the first time since he was pulled from his at-bat in the 4th inning during Sunday’s game against the Indians.
Marte is in the lineup tonight for the #Pirates. pic.twitter.com/o765d9Ntww
— Sean McCool (@NotSoMcCool) July 11, 2015
Marte went 0-for-8 in the Indians series, but he was hot during the Pirates series against the Tigers last week, going 7-for-15 with a double and home run.
Manager Clint Hurdle was asked if Marte passed all tests today to be able to play.
“Obviously,” Hurdle responded about Marte passing tests to play. “He’s hitting cleanup. We gave him rest. He worked hard in recovery, and if you’re going to play him, put him in a spot that says he’s ready to go.”
Hurdle went on to say that Marte may have some things to deal with for the rest of the season, but he is healthy enough to get back on the field. Hurdle encouraged Marte to show them that he was ready by hitting, running, and throwing, and he was able to perform all aspects of the game.
“I think their mindset is that they want to let their teammates know that they’ll do whatever they can to go out there no matter what kind of shape they are in. That is admirable, but we have good players here that can back up, play, and cover some ground until they can get back to a competitive place. So I encouraged him [Marte] to get to a competitive place and show us, and that’s what has happened.”
The Pirates will face John Lackey and the Cardinals at 7:15pm tonight at PNC Park.
