"I feel like I've been having good at-bats. It's just making contact and the ball finding a hole," McCutchen said. "That's all I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to over-assess it. I'm just trying to continue to have good at-bats. When I'm swinging, be able to make solid contact. That's where I'm at."
There are some reasons for optimism. McCutchen entered Thursday with a .226 average on balls in play, well below the league average of .293, so perhaps he's endured worse batted-ball luck than usual. He is swinging at fewer pitches outside the strike zone, and making more contact in the zone.