Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Did Derek Shelton's double switch foreshadow a change in center?

The Pittsburgh Pirates are preparing for the impending return of rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, and manager Derek Shelton made a double switch on Sunday that possibly foreshadowed their future lineup.

Shelton sent Kevin Newman to pinch-hit for Dustin Fowler in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. Newman remained in the game at shortstop, with Erik Gonzalez moving from short to third base, Phillip Evans from third to left field and Bryan Reynolds from left to center.

Shelton sounded like someone who realizes that Reynolds might be his best option in center, even if the Pirates prefer to leave him in left.

“He’s definitely comfortable out there,” Shelton said after the 6-5 win over the Brewers in 10 innings. “He takes balls out there and he’s played center field in the past, so my comfort with him out there is very strong.”

It might have been a sign that the Pirates are finally fed up with the lack of production in center, despite general manager Ben Cherington’s defense Thursday of Dustin Fowler (10 starts), Anthony Alford (five) and Wilmer Difo (one). The trio has combined to hit .098 (5 for 51) with 26 strikeouts, seven walks, four runs and two RBIs.

“We’ve got young players out there who are getting a chance to play at the major league level for the first time with any level of consistency,” Cherington said. “There often is an adjustment period. As long as guys are focused on what they need to do and working hard and trying to make adjustments, we want to support that. At the same time, we want to eventually see better production also. For right now, we want to give guys a chance to play and get into the season a little bit more.”

Alford and Fowler are inexperienced but they aren’t that young. Both are 26, with Alford turning 27 in late July. They’re both older than Reynolds, who turned 26 in late January.

Since trading Starling Marte to Arizona in January 2020, the Pirates have started 11 players in center field. They have shown a willingness to experiment with infielders, from Cole Tucker to JT Riddle to Difo, and Cherington hasn’t ruled out making another trade.

The Pirates believe Reynolds has Gold Glove potential in left field but have resisted permanently moving him to center, where he started 15 games last season. Reynolds caught three fly balls, including Keston Hiura’s deep shot to the left-center nook at American Family Field.

“I felt comfortable over there, felt like I read some balls well,” Reynolds said. “Wherever they want me to go, left or center, I’ll be perfectly comfortable there.”

If Reynolds moves to center, the Pirates have a number of options in left. Evans and Gonzalez are backup infielders who have fared well enough in Hayes’ absence to earn more playing time, and Frazier started 13 games there last season. Jared Oliva, who traveled with the taxi squad, can play left or center.

Hayes’ return could force Shelton’s hand, given that it requires a roster move and the Pirates can’t afford both Alford (.087) and Fowler (.194) to be hitting below the Mendoza line.

“I haven’t thought about it yet,” Shelton said. “When (Hayes) comes back, then we’ll cross that bridge.”

Here’s five more thoughts on the Pirates:

1. Close call: Cherington said Sunday on his weekly radio show that Hayes, on the 10-day injured list since April 4 with a wrist injury, will join their alternate training site team in Toledo to play “a game or two.”

After an off day Monday, the Pirates play three games at Detroit — an hour away from Toledo — and Shelton said “there’s definitely a chance” Hayes could return in time to play the Tigers.

“The fact that Toledo and Detroit are so close in proximity, we’re able to have that flexibility,” Shelton said. “We’ll just see how it goes.”

Shelton said Hayes took live batting practice swings and with the velocity machine on Sunday — important because of the vibration of the bat — and looked “really good” and had “no issues at all.”

2. All about aura: Perhaps no Pirates player is as excited about Hayes’ return as Reynolds.

Not only could having Hayes back benefit Reynolds in the batting order, as Hayes bats one spot ahead of him, but also in the field if Reynolds switches to his preferred position of playing center.

Reynolds was more worried about what it meant for the Pirates, who lost six consecutive games but have since won six of nine.

“That’s going to be great for us,” Reynolds said. “Obviously he’s a very talented hitter but also defensively and just kind of the aura he brings to the lineup and the team; it’s going to be good to get him back.”

3. Heart of the matter: The Pirates have made it clear that they don’t want to rush Hayes back and risk reaggravating his wrist injury. They also have good reason for not wanting to disrupt their Nos. 3 and 4 hitters.

Over the past 10 games, Reynolds is slashing .325/.413/.475 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs while batting third. He enjoys batting one spot ahead of Moran, who is hitting .306/.375/.556 with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs over that stretch.

“He’s locked in this year — and last year,” Reynolds said of Moran. “He’s a great hitter. Takes some pressure off the rest of us because we know that all we have to do is get on base, and chances are he’s going to drive something and knock us in.”

Moran credited Reynolds for making pitchers work, calling his patience at the plate and willingness to wait for a good pitch to hit a “great asset.”

“He has a great eyes,” Moran said. “More times than not, he gets a good pitch to hit. If not, he works a really good at- bat, makes them work. So it’s a (treat) to hit behind him, that’s for sure.”

4. Check his pulse: Richard Rodriguez hadn’t pitched since Tuesday, yet threw two scoreless innings against the Brewers in a pressure-packed situation to earn the victory.

“If you watch Richie Rodriguez pitch, I don’t know if he has a pulse,” Shelton said. “If you ask him to throw four innings every day, he would do it.”

Rodriguez threw 12 pitches in each inning, inducing seven called strikes, four swinging strikes and three fouls with eight balls and four balls in play. He threw 21 four-seamers and three sliders. Rodriguez struck out Travis Shaw and stranded Jackie Bradley Jr. at second base in the bottom of the 10th to end the game.

“What makes him good is his ability to spin a fastball and and work the slider off it,” Shelton said, crediting the conversations Rodriguez has with pitching coach Oscar Marin and bullpen coach Justin Meccage. “I think (catcher) Mikey Perez did a nice job all the way through the game and really good job there at the end of the game with Richie.”

5. Around the horn: The probable pitchers for the Detroit series feature lefty Tyler Anderson against right-hander Michael Fulmer on Tuesday, righties Mitch Keller and Spencer Turnbull on Wednesday and righties JT Brubaker and José Ureña on Thursday. … The Pirates are 36-32 in interleague play against the Tigers, with a 16-15 record in Detroit. The Pirates went 3-17 in interleague play against the AL Central last season. … After 16 games, the Pirates are 7-9 and 2 ½ games out of first place in the NL Central. Last year, they started 3-13.