Jake Mangum (foot) returns to action on Friday

Mangum went 2-for-5 with an RBI and his 19th stolen base of the season during the front-end of the twin bill. He’ll undergo further evaluation and there should be an update on his status prior to Friday’s series opener against the Cubs. The 30-year-old has emerged as Pittsburgh’s primary leadoff hitter since rookie Konnor Griffin hit the injured list earlier this month. It’ll be Billy Cook taking over in center field with Nick Gonzales moving up to the leadoff spot.

He had three of the Pirates five RBIs and one of the runs — he was also the only player with more than one hit — and is building a case as a waiver wire find after Konnor Griffin hit the injured list earlier this week. Mangum has just two homers, but he does have 18 stolen bases and is currently hitting .311. That skill set and the run opportunities at the top of the lineup should make him a viable starter in most leagues.

Mangum draws his second consecutive opportunity in the leadoff spot since rookie phenom Konnor Griffin hit the injured list with a finger injury earlier this week. The 30-year-old is hitting .305 (65-for-213) with one homer and 17 steals in 71 games this season. He brings enough speed to be a meaningful fantasy contributor, particularly in deeper mixed leagues. With Griffin sidelined until early September, a more permanent role atop Pittsburgh’s lineup should result in additional running opportunities and a steady stream of runs scored. He looks like a strong waiver wire target for fantasy managers heading into the second half, even in shallow mixed leagues.

The Pirates are just being cautious with their star in his return from a forearm strain. Griffin returned last Friday and will now have sat in two of the team’s seven games since then. We would expect them to go back to playing him nearly every day after the All-Star break. On Thursday, Jared Triolo will bat ninth and play shortstop, and Jake Mangum will move into Griffin’s spot at the top of the order.

Mangum got the Pirates on the board in the fourth inning with an RBI single off of Max Meyer that plated Nick Gonzales and pulled them to within a run at 2-1. That would be as close as they would get. With his two-hit attack. the 30-year-old outfielder is now slashing a healthy .302/.355/.360 with one homer, 11 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 155 plate appearances on the season.

Jake Mangum takes over in center field. Presumably, the decision to hold Cruz out of the lineup is directly related to a hand laceration that he suffered on a slide into home plate last weekend against Atlanta. There should be an additional update on his status following Tuesday’s showdown, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for the moment.

It looks to be just a routine day off for the dynamic 27-year-old outfielder. Jake Mangum will start in his place in center field and will bat seventh for the Pirates against Braves’ right-hander Bryce Elder.

Mangum took Bailey Ober deep in the second inning for a solo homer, his first of the season. He then singled in the fifth to drive in a run and added a hit, a stolen base, and a run scored in the seventh. The 30-year-old outfielder has seen sporadic playing time, starting three of the last seven games. He’s hitting .267/.339/.317 with one homer, 16 runs scored, eight RBI, and seven steals across 114 plate appearances.

The 30-year-old outfielder had been shelved since May 6 due to a left hamstring strain. Before he was sidelined, Mangum had been hitting .260/.333/.288 with zero homers, three RBI and five stolen bases in his first 82 plate appearances. Ryan O’Hearn (quad) landed on the injured list in a corresponding move on Sunday.

Mangum was a late scratch from Thursday’s lineup due to the hamstring issue and was feeling even worse on Friday, so the Pirates felt it was prudent to place him on the injured list. Nick Yorke was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move to take his place on the Pirates’ active roster.