Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen will end up sitting out the entire three-game set against the Atlanta Braves. It's being reported that McCutchen, who was benched Tuesday and Wednesday, will also be out of the lineup on Thursday.
The 29-year-old outfielder has been in a season-long slump, slashing at .241/.311/.408 with 15 homers and 43 RBI. He also boasts a disturbingly high 27 percent strikeout rate.
What exactly does this mean from a fantasy perspective?
First off, Cutch simply hasn't been the same performer thus far this season. Not only is he hitting at a career low .241 clip, the five-time All-Star has seen his production against lefties diminish a great deal. After posting a .280 with a .372 Babip against southpaws last season, the righty is posting a .235/.250 split against pitchers that toe that side of the rubber this season.
If giving McCutchen some time off helps him move forward without the struggles we've seen this year, it will be good move for a Pirates team that sits 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot. If not, the issues could be more vast than a month's long slump.
What we do know is that he simply hasn't been the same player from a fantasy perspective this season. McCutchen ranks 10th among centerfielders in fantasy points after finishing last season with the third-most points at this position.
From a DFS perspective, the recommendation here is that you take a wait and see approach. See how he returns after being benched for an enitre series, and go from there.