With nothing left to prove in the Minors, LaRoche will open 2009 as Pittsburgh's third baseman, but if he struggles the way he did after joining the Pirates, he might not be a fixture there. Neil Walker has been one of the organization's most promising prospects, but management isn't sure he's ready for the grind of an entire Major League season.
News: Pirates 3B Andy LaRoche went 0-for-3 with a walk Thursday at Milwaukee. He's batting only .100 (2-for-20) over his last six games, lowering his batting average to .165.
Analysis: LaRoche is a major prospect, but he is proving incapable of putting anything together in the major leagues. Consider him the likely starter down the stretch and in spring 2009, but he is nothing more than a deeper NL-only option right now
MLB.com reports that Andy LaRoche will have to battle for the third base job in 2009. "Obviously, it's not been what anybody wants to this point, and I think Andy would be the first to acknowledge that," Huntington said.LaRoche has done little to solidify his case for earning the job in his two months with the Pirates, so far. If anything, he's taken a step back. Heading into Thursday's series finale vs. the Brewers, he carried a .167 batting average and only 18 RBIs in 209 at-bats. His 10 season errors, many the result of inadequate footwork, haven't helped make a good first impression, either.
Alan Robinson, of The Associated Press, reports Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Andy LaRoche recorded a two-run single Wednesday, Sept. 17, which was only his fourth hit in 35 at-bats.
The Associated Press Alan Robinson reports Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Andy LaRoche broke out of a 0-for-21 slump with three singles Sunday, Sept. 14.
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