Pirates game against Mets in New York postponed by rain; doubleheader Saturday

The Pittsburgh Pirates had played 16 games in 16 days before rain postponed the start of their four-game series Thursday night against the New York Mets at Citi field.

The game will be made up Saturday as a part of a single-admission doubleheader, starting at 4:10 p.m.

The Pirates were 7-9 in their 16-game stretch.

Bryan Reynolds was not in Derek Shelton’s starting lineup Thursday, and the manager had been hoping to give Adam Frazier and others a day off before the end of the Mets series Sunday. What the postponement will do to those plans is unclear.

Shelton also wanted to get infielders Cole Tucker and Rodolfo Castro into the lineup at some point before the All-Star break. They were called up from Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona to ease a major-league manpower shortage. Five position players are on the Pirates’ injured list.

Tucker has spent most of the season in Triple-A, where he’s slashing .214/.333/.357. In 10 games with the Pirates, he’s hitting .188 after recording a pinch-hit single Tuesday.

Castro was hitting .306, with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs, in Double-A.

Playing time is especially important for Tucker, who was sent to Indianapolis to work on the offensive side of his game.

“We can’t use development time right now with him being up here and maybe not being in the lineup every day,” Shelton said. “We have to continue to work on these things (in off hours).”

Keeping his eyes, ears open

Shelton doesn’t have a lot of time to spend on the draft, but he carves out a little to (at least) sit in the back of the room and listen during general manager Ben Cherington’s meetings with scouts.

“I’m very on the periphery,” Shelton said. “Ben and (assistant general manager) Steve Sanders do a really nice job of keeping me up to date.”

Nonetheless, with the Pirates holding the first overall pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday night, all eyes and opinions are welcome.

“I’ve seen some of (the prospects) on video,” Shelton said. “I was in the draft room a little bit the other day, although I was just sitting in the back listening. Most of the stuff is just them throwing a little bit of information at me, me watching a little bit. Our staff has watched some things to help out. Anything just to be another set of eyes and opinion.

“I’m not going to have any final say on what we’re doing. Those guys are well more versed on that than I am.”

It’s not all analytics

Shelton said the Pirates seek a blend of what scouts see and what the numbers say while evaluating players.

“That’s one of the cool things about being in a draft room, to be able to sit and listen to the passion of the scouts, what they see and how they see it,” he said. “(Personal contact) is not something that should ever be discounted in our game because they put in the time and work.

“You need scouts to see what guys are doing. They provide information that a spread sheet is never going to be able to do.”

Brubaker’s workload

Shelton said he will keep a close eye for the rest of the season on starting pitcher J.T. Brubaker, who was the scheduled starter Thursday.

“Because of the fact in 2019 he only threw 27 2/3 innings and last year only 47 1/3,” he said.

Brubaker is at 83 2/3, with a 4.08 ERA and 4-9 record.

Shelton said he’s pleased with Brubaker’s work on and off the mound.

“The one thing that really stands out is his ability to ask questions and translate that into things on the field,” he said.

“That has probably been the thing that has impressed me the most and has accelerated the most this year.

“It’s the learning culture we’re trying to reinforce here. He’s all in on everything from what we’re doing to even what he wants to do with his at-bat, which makes for fun conversations with me (a former hitting coach).

“It’s very appreciated, and it speaks to the learning and development culture we’re trying to create among our players and our staff.”

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