CLEVELAND — Adam Frazier didn't have much time to get ready. Frazier, recalled Wednesday morning with Corey Dickerson day-to-day because of left hamstring discomfort, replaced Starling Marte in center field after Marte was hit on the left hand by a 95 mph fastball in the first inning.
Marte was riding a 17-game hitting streak, which was the longest in the National League this season. To make room for Frazier, reliever Casey Sadler was sent back to Triple-A Indianapolis. Dickerson is batting .400 with six doubles, three triples, six homers and 12 RBI in 18 games this month. Meanwhile, Frazier has hit safely in six of his last eight games; however, he's batted just .223 in 32 games with the Indians.
Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates' director of sports medicine, told reporters in a conference call Wednesday morning Dickerson's status improved upon reporting to Progressive Field.
"He was assessed this morning," Tomczyk said. "With a short turnaround, slight change in symptoms, slight improvement, we're still assessing availability."
Dickerson, now riding a six-game hitting streak, was removed in the fourth inning Tuesday night after he suffered the injury while running out a ground ball. He had gone 2 for 3 with a double and two-run triple. Jordan Luplow, who is batting leadoff and starting in left field Wednesday, replaced him in left, going 1 for 1 with a single and a walk.
"It’s very mild," Dickerson told reporters afterwards. "I feel pretty good. Really going to see about tomorrow, see where I am and go from there. It’s nothing that I’m concerned about." It was enough of a concern that Hurdle added another bat with the series finale Wednesday, followed by a four-game series against the Mets at PNC Park.
Frazier, 26, was the Pirates' leadoff hitter on opening day after starting 93 games last season. However, he struggled upon returning to a utility role, batting .237 with a .673 OPS in 56 games before being demoted to Triple-A on June 10. Frazier returned for two games later in the month when Dickerson was placed on the family medical emergency list, only to be sent back down when Dickerson returned.
Frazier, who batted .276 with a .743 OPS last season, hasn't fared much better with Indy. He's posted a .586 OPS in 121 at-bats, hitting just .211 against left-handed pitchers. The Pirates' decision to not recall Austin Meadows likely indicates Dickerson's injury is not severe.
After all, they'd be unlikely to rely only on Luplow, Frazier or Sean Rodriguez to start in left when they're only six games back of the first-place Cubs with the non-waiver trade deadline six days away . Plus, Meadows has just four hits in 24 at-bats since returning to Indianapolis.
Sadler, a 28-year-old right-hander, did not pitch for the Pirates after being recalled Monday — his first day back in the major leagues since making a spot start in April 2015. Now a reliever, Sadler missed all of 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and has a 1.45 WHIP in 67 2/3 innings for the Indians this season.