Aramis Ramirez set to lose starting third base job as Pirates mull moving him to first

Aramis Ramirez has a six game hitting streak and is batting .281 in the month of August. Sounds good, right?

Not exactly.

Ramirez .313 slugging percentage this month and .276 slugging percentage since joining the Pirates are the red flags.

One thing for certain is Ramirez is just no longer a capable cleanup or No. 5 hitter at this stage of his career. The burning question with Ramirez is whether his .276 slugging percentage is a sign he just can’t play anymore, at least at a starter capable level, or is this nothing more than just a small sampling?

In Milwaukee Ramirez slugging percentage was at .430 this season.

The frustrations with Ramirez as a Pirate has been his ineffectiveness in the field and this season he’s been a dog at the plate with runners on.

Ramirez will be benched tonight in favor of Sean Rodriguez and with Josh Harrison returning to the lineup as early as next week, the Pirates for now look like they will have an easy decision on their hands at third base until Jordy Mercer returns.

Ramirez becomes a part-time player or does he?

The Pirates are planning to see how Ramirez transitions to first base and that process is expected to begin this week in pregame workouts.

That said why is Ramirez scratched tonight?

The Pirates will basically have three pitchers in their lineup (7-9) with Ishikawa, Rodriguez and Liriano.

TONIGHT’S PIRATES LINEUP

1. Gregory Polanco, RF

2. Neil Walker, 2B

3. Andrew McCutchen, CF

4. Jung Ho Kang, SS

5. Pedro Alvarez, 1B

6. Francisco Cervelli, C

7. Travis Ishikawa, LF

8. Sean Rodriguez, 3B

9. Francisco Liriano, LHP.

Photo: David Hague