Jake Mangum leaves the yard in loss to Reds

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 30-year-old outfielder. Bryan Reynolds will cover left field in his place while Brandon Lowe functions as the team’s designated hitter against Dodgers’ right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Mangum has now led off in 27 straight starts dating back to July 7, but it’s a role he likely won’t retain once Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin are healthy again. The Pirates have scuffled badly, dropping 10 of 13 since July 28. Mangum’s solo shot was one of just four hits they could muster on Sunday afternoon.

Mangum’s first double, a 369-foot fly to right, would have been a homer in 17 ballparks. Playing regularly with Oneil Cruz absent, the 30-year-old Mangum has hit .306 with two homers, 19 runs scored and seven steals in 31 games since the beginning of July. Power isn’t at all his game — tonight’s barrel was just his fourth of the year — but thanks to a rather stunning .354 BABIP, he’s managed to hit .298 in 773 plate appearances since debuting with the Rays last season.

Mangum was a late scratch from the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader due to soreness in his right foot. It appears to have been just a minor issue though and he’s right back in center field and batting atop the Pirates’ lineup on Friday evening against Cubs’ left-hander Matthew Boyd.

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.