McCutchen is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen has gone deep in back-to-back contests, but he'll receive a day of rest Wednesday. Bryan Reynolds will get a turn as the Pirates' designated hitter, while Connor Joe and Edward Olivares will occupy the outfield corners.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen has hit atop the Pirates' order in consecutive games and has led off each contest with a homer. He now has three long balls on the season and is potentially getting out of a slump that resulted in him hitting just .173 across his first 14 games of the campaign. It's unclear whether McCutchen has taken over leadoff duties for good, but the Pirates have shifted Oneil Cruz down the lineup as a result.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's win over Milwaukee.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen received his first start in the leadoff spot Monday night and made the most of it. He opened with a 414-foot home run off Joe Ross, spurring the Pirates to victory. The 37-year-old added two singles later in the game for his first three-hit effort of the season. McCutchen has started 10 of the last 13 games, batting .231 (9-for-39) with two homers, seven runs and four RBI.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen had started each of the previous three contests while going 4-for-12 with a home run, three RBI, three additional runs and a stolen base, but he'll get a breather as the Pirates and Mets wrap up their series with a day game after a night game. Bryan Reynolds will get a day off out of the outfield and serve as the Pirates' designated hitter while McCutchen rests.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, two additional runs scored and a stolen base during Sunday's 9-2 win over the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen notched his first homer of 2024 on Sunday, plating Ke'Bryan Hayes as part of a two-run knock off Ricardo Pinto in the ninth inning. The long ball was the 300th of McCutchen's storied MLB career, and he became the 160th player to reach the milestone. McCutchen has gotten out of the gates slowly in year 16, slashing .194/.326/.333 with a 37.2 percent strikeout rate through nine games.

McCutchen isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Saturday's matchup versus Philadelphia.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen has gone hitless through seven at-bats and struck out four times in the first two games of Pittsburgh's series with the Phillies, so he'll get a day to regroup Saturday. Edward Olivares will assume DH duties and bat fifth while the 37-year-old veteran rests.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's the second straight day on the bench for McCutchen, who is 3-for-20 with four walks and 11 strikeouts through his first five games of the season. Edward Olivares will bat seventh as the designated hitter.

McCutchen isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Saturday's game versus Baltimore, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen will get a breather after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts during Friday's series opener. His absence will allow Edward Olivares to serve as Pittsburgh's DH while batting fifth.

McCutchen is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

He will yield to Connor Joe at designated hitter against right-hander Josiah Gray. McCutchen is 3-for-16 with a 9:4 K:BB across his first 21 plate appearances this season.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk Monday against the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen struck out in five of his first nine plate appearances of the season and was out of the lineup both Saturday and Sunday. He returned to bat fourth Monday and struck out two additional times, though he also managed his first hits of the new campaign -- including a key RBI knock in the eighth inning. The Pirates' lineup is deeper than last season when McCutchen was a regular, but he'll likely get plenty of time to get his bat up to speed.