When the Pirates decided to keep Austin Meadows on the Major League roster after Starling Marte returned from his oblique injury, the idea was that they would split time amongst their four outfield options.
“Austin Meadows isn’t here as a fourth outfielder,” general manager Neal Huntington said a week ago. “He’s here as part of a four-outfielder group.”
While that may be true, it’s been Meadows that’s gotten the short end of the playing time straw so far. In the six games since the Pirates began their rotation, Marte has had 22 at-bats, the most of the foursome, followed by Corey Dickerson with 18, Gregory Polanco with 16 and Meadows with 14.