Neil Walker made a pinch hit appearance last night against the Padres, then was originally in today’s lineup. That is no longer the case, as he has been scratched from the game with more issues involving his back. The Pirates will be re-evaluating his status after the game, and could make a potential roster move.
What it sounds like is that Walker could be heading to the disabled list. And because of the pinch-hitting appearance last night, he would go on for the full 15 days, rather than being back dated to August 6th.
The Pirates have been playing with a short bench this week, waiting on Walker and McCutchen to bounce back from their injuries, rather than committing to a DL trip for either player. They helped that issue by playing with a short bullpen, designating Ernesto Frieri for assignment when Pedro Alvarez returned from the bereavement list earlier this week. However, the bench is still short, and the Pirates will need to make some sort of move, as they can’t keep playing with a short bullpen and a short bench.