McCutchen says he is ready to return Tuesday

(Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)

Andrew McCutchen said this afternoon that he plans to return to the active roster Tuesday, the first day he is eligible to come off the DL. He hit on the field today against Class AA Altoona righty Jeff Inman, who came to town on the Curve’s off day.

“I felt pretty good out there, made some good contact with some balls,” McCutchen said. “I pretty much did everything. Swing and miss, check-swung, fouled balls off. None of that bothered me. I felt good go to.”

Speaking before McCutchen hit, Clint Hurdle said, “I think unless there’s some type of setback, we feel optimistic that he could very well rejoin us tomorrow.”

McCutchen wore an EvoShield compression shirt with extra padding around his ribcage, which will help take pressure off the avulsion fracture of a rib on his lower left side that sent him to the DL. It will also protect against getting hit by a pitch in that area. He will wear it in games for the rest of the season.

“If something’s going to be hurt, I’d feel it already,” he said. “That’s not an issue. I know, just from the first swing, if I’m going to be good or not. I felt fine the whole time.”

McCutchen said he couldn’t tell if he was in pain. “I have a really high pain tolerance. I could be in a little bit of pain but not even know it. Right now I feel great. I don’t feel any pain, I didn’t feel any pain swinging.”