The second game of this Pirates/Phillies series comes with an unwanted surprise: Brandon Inge's rehab assignment is over and he'll be joining the Pirates in Philadelphia tonight. And also starting at third base against Cole Hamels. Inge went 9-for-60 on his rehab stint and he hasn't had a season with an OPS+ of over 100 since 2005. His glove is good, but there's just no reason at all to think that he'll hit even a little bit. In a vacuum that's fine. On a team with John McDonald and Clint Barmes already on the roster (Alex Presley was demoted to make room for Inge) it's insane and unforgiveable. There's just no reason to waste this much roster space when the Pirates have two guys that can hit a little and do a third baseman impression (Martin and Sanchez) if they want a platoon option for Pedro Alvarez, and they're leaving Jordy Mercer in Triple-A for no discernible reason at this point.
Anyway, Cole Hamels and Jeff Locke are on the mound tonight. The first pitch is at 7:05.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
