Cole Tucker’s move to the outfield appears to be more than just an experiment with a talented athlete. He made his 16th start in center field Sunday in the 3-2 victory against the Cincinnati Reds.

That’s 41% of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ games, a percentage that may increase after Anthony Alford suffered a season-ending fractured right elbow Saturday night when he crashed into the center-field wall.

Manager Derek Shelton said Tucker will share the position with Jason Martin, who was recalled from the Pirates’ satellite camp in Altoona after turning 25 on Saturday. It will be Martin’s second tour of duty with the Pirates this season. He started two games in center field Aug. 28 and 30, getting six at-bats with no hits.

“The thing that really stands out is his ability to hit the fastball and take aggressive swings at the fastball,” Shelton said. “That’s something I really like. That stood out during spring training 1.0.

“As we continue to get him out there, we’ll monitor everything else.”

Without Alford, who was put on the 45-day injured list, and Jarrod Dyson, traded to the Chicago White Sox, Tucker will get increased opportunities in center field.

“The big thing is going to be reads and breaks,” Shelton said. “That’s for any infielder that goes to the outfield. That will be the biggest transition.

The other challenging thing — and that’s on me — he’s playing both right and center. It’s different reads. It’s different spin of the ball.”

Yet, Shelton stopped short of committing to Tucker as only an outfielder.

“I know he hasn’t been (in the infield) lately,” Shelton said, “but going into next year we still see him playing multiple positions.”

Tucker said Shelton still takes ground balls in pregame warmups on days he’s not playing in the outfield.

Meanwhile, Tucker is making modest strides at the plate, improving his batting average from .211 at the end of last season to .242. His single in the ninth inning Sunday tied the score at 2-2.

Tucker, who is playing outfield this season for the first time, made a sliding catch of a line drive off the bat of Nick Castellanos in the first inning. He doesn’t know what the future holds, but he suspects he might turn into a full-time outfielder.

He noted that the Pirates’ media guide now lists him that way. “So, I guess I am,” he said.

”If the end of the year comes and Ben (Cherington, general manager) and Shelty and those guys say, `Hey, we want you to move back and play shortstop,’ I’ll be ready to do that.

“But if they say, `You’re going to be an outfielder,’ I’m totally cool with that. So, it’s really in their hands

“But just kind of the way things are looking, it’s looking like I’m going to be an oufielder. So, I’m good with that and I’m excited about it and dedicated to be the best one I can be.”

Martin was watching in Altoona on Saturday night when Alford was injured. He received the call after the game and drove into Pittsburgh on Sunday morning.

With no minor leagues operational in this season of the pandemic, Martin has played mostly intrasquad games with his teammates in Altoona, sometimes seeing pitches from a machine.

“It’s definitely been a different year,” he said. “I work on my craft and just stay ready for opportunities like this.”

The players in Altoona also get the same scouting reports the Pirates see, so they stay in tune with major league players.

“It’s been different, but I’ve been able to get through it. (Coaches) have been doing a good job of making sure we get all our work in.”

Cherington said on his KDKA-FM radio show Sunday that he has seen Alford’s X-rays, and it is a “very clean” break.

“He’ll still be in good position going into the offseason,” Cherington said. “The prognosis should be good.

“The way it happened reflects a bit how Anthony Alford is, plays the game incredibly hard. He’s also really fast and strong, so when he’s going full speed into a hard surface like a wall, something bad might happen.”

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