Pirates Holding Andrew Lambo Out Of Games

by Charlie Wilmoth on May 27, 2011 4:56 PM EDT

Jenifer Langosch reports that the Pirates are holding Andrew Lambo out of games, and not for injury-related reasons. Or marijuana-related reasons!

Kyle Stark, the Pirates’ director of player development, said Lambo is not out due to injury.

"We’re continuing to help him make some adjustments to the Triple-A level and picking our spots to help him make those adjustments rather than just competing in games," Stark said.

Lambo has been awful this year, hitting .212/.290/.336, so it's easy to understand the Pirates' effort to be proactive in helping him improve, rather than just leaving him out there to make the same mistakes against Class AAA pitching. Obviously, holding a guy out of games isn't always the best way to help a struggling player, but let's hope it works in this case. It sounds like the Pirates think Lambo can't necessarily make those adjustments while trying to hit pitchers who would probably pose a challenge for him in even the best of circumstances.

Thanks to cocktailsfor2.

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I'm begining to appreciate the way the minor league staff handles things

The last regime looked for reasons flunk guys out or, if not flunk them out, to generate evidence to use against the players. The current regime, on the other hand, seems to look for ways to help players succeed.

Refreshing.

s.zielinski

by steve_z on May 27, 2011 6:35 PM EDT reply actions

agreed, mr z

by white angus on May 27, 2011 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Guess it is better that it is performance reasons...

than performance enhancing (??) reasons. Lambo is one bad drug test from a 100 game suspension.

by Thunder on May 27, 2011 9:33 PM EDT reply actions

Lambo is one bad drug test from a 100 game suspension.

They could duck this by adding him to the 40-man roster, since those guys are handled by the MLB testing program rather than the minor league one, and the history doesn’t carry over. That’s why the Brewers rostered Jeffress, for example.

by Vlad on May 29, 2011 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Better not have a poppy seed bun with his burger!

by erad67 on May 30, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Last month when we were in Indy,

He didn’t look good. Weak sister 4-3 and 3-1 groundouts, and a fly to left that he poked of the end of the bat when he got fooled on a pitch.

He is pretty fast, though.

I hope they’re giving him the instruction he needs to succeed. It sounds like it.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on May 27, 2011 10:25 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe he's pressing and stressed out at his poor start

if only he had something to relax and wind down with…

by Mr. E on May 28, 2011 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

hahahahaaha... whatever could you mean?

by white angus on May 28, 2011 7:54 AM EDT up reply actions

SALE THE WEED!

by Traco Bucco on May 28, 2011 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Salvia!

Get this guy puffing on some of that!

by Joey Mooney on May 28, 2011 11:19 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Maybe they can send him to Tor's batting coaches summer camp

It appears most everyone going there hits better after a while (except A Hill the past year and month)

by jackiegleason on May 28, 2011 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Or Arizona's

Zach Duke first career homerun in his debut! I guess they have mirrors in the dessert too.

by Mr. E on May 28, 2011 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions

As badly overmatched as Lambo has looked this year...

…can the team risk leaving him unprotected for the Rule 5? He’s still young, but he doesn’t bring any defensive value to the table, and unless he snaps out of it this will mark three consecutive years for him without any significant offensive contribution, either.

by Vlad on May 29, 2011 10:36 AM EDT reply actions