-P- Brent Morel's jersey was conspicuously hanging in a locker when the Pirates' clubhouse was opened to the press this afternoon. With Starting Marte out of the lineup for the second night in a row, the immediate suspicion was that the Pirates' left fielder would be heading to the disabled list. But, as of 5:00 p.m., no move has been announced.
"We're still going through the appropriate testing on Starling [Marte], and we have a plan B if the testing does not come back right," Clint Hurdle said.
Hurdle confirmed that the testing was concussion related.
"It is a very difficult situation to assess," Hurdle said of head injuries. "The way they feel one day might not be the way they feel two days later because of the lingering effects."
[Update 7:05] Pirates have announced that Starling Marte has been placed on the 7 day concussion disabled list. Brent Morel will take his spot on the roster and is active for tonight's game.
-P- Pedro Alvarez has left knee discomfort. Hurdle said that they will wait and see if he is potential candidate to come off the bench tonight.
-P- Gerrit Cole participated in a simulated game this afternoon.
"Everything was pretty good, I feel good," Cole said. "I was a little rusty in some areas but I got better as I went on."
He threw 70 pitches, 15-20 more than originally intended.
"They just kept letting me go," Cole said of throwing more than expected. "I threw [all my pitches], not a ton of breaking balls. I threw some really good ones and some really bad ones."
The right-hander added that their was no "guarding" or thinking about his injury.
"I'm in a better position than when I started at this point in time [the last time he was the disabled list]."
Cole also said he would go on a rehab assignment this time around.
"I felt good coming off the sim games [last time], and I was sharp, but coming in against the Mets, there were still some things I needed to clean up," Cole said. "At this point in the year, I can't come out not sharp and give games away and put us in a hole like I did against the Mets. ... It's going to come down to the wire, and there's no room to feel [bleep] on the mound right now."