BRADENTON, Fla. -- After 12 days out of the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup, Andrew McCutchen finally made it back into a spring-training game Tuesday. And just for the record, McCutchen said he was never worried, only bored.
"Better than just sitting around watching. That's for sure," McCutchen said after playing center field for four innings and going 0-for-2 in the Pirates' 9-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. "I did that once during the season last year [while on the disabled list]. That's not too fun. So it's good to get back out there."
McCutchen was first scratched from the Pirates' lineup March 13, with what was vaguely described by the team as "lower-body soreness." The All-Star center fielder remained hesitant to elaborate, even after his return.
"Just overall. Just lower body," he said. "That's it. Just being tight. Just trying to get back on the field and not being myself. That's really what it was."
Had this happened during the regular season, however, McCutchen said he never would have been out this long.
"I'd have been out there if it really matters," he said. "For the season, if they need me out there, then I'm out there. I came back [last season] with broken ribs, so this is not an issue. But it's spring training. You don't want to strain anything or make anything worse right now. It's OK to make it worse when it counts."
Throughout his time out of the lineup, McCutchen insisted he would be ready for Opening Day, and he said again Tuesday he was never concerned about that.
"That was never an issue," he said. "I'll get plenty of at-bats. If I need 10 at-bats, I can go over to [the Pirates' minor-league complex at] Pirate City and get 10 at-bats. So I'm not worried about not being ready. That's never been a problem for me."
McCutchen flied out to deep right field in his first at-bat Tuesday, then struck out in his second at-bat. He caught the only fly ball hit to him, making a running catch of a soft line drive by Delmon Young in the first inning.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said he has no set number of at-bats or games of playing time that he thinks McCutchen needs to be ready for the season.
"I think he's in a good place," Hurdle said. "He said he felt good today. If we need at-bats, we can go get them in Pirate City. We can get six to eight a day. I don't have any concerns. I think he'll get the at-bats he needs, and I think he'll get the innings in the outfield that he needs."
McCutchen, 28, has averaged 154 games a season over the last five years. Among major-league outfielders, only Hunter Pence, Adam Jones and Ichiro Suzuki have played more games over that span than he has. Nearly half of the 38 games McCutchen has missed in that time came last August, when he had to go on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career with an avulsion fracture in the rib-cage area.
So considering that track record, it's always eyebrow-raising when McCutchen misses time, even in the spring. But while others speculated this month about what was wrong and how long he'd be out, the All-Star center fielder made it sound as if his biggest challenge was simply keeping his sanity during an extended time off.
"I've already had enough of that last year," he said. "Being on the DL is not fun. First time I've ever done that in my life. So taking that time off, it's different, but it definitely is boring. That's for sure.
"I just love being out there on the field, and appreciate being able to just play and not be hurt. ... But I've got to do what I've got to do to get back on the field, and I'm going to do that."