Jordy Mercer will be available off the bench in the series finale against the Twins tonight after suffering a right finger injury in the home opener at PNC Park Monday, and he expects to be back in the lineup Thursday.
Sean Rodriguez will start at shortstop and bat eighth for the Pirates, but Mercer took swings in the batting cage this afternoon and told reporters the swelling has dissipated over the past 24 hours, allowing him to field and throw grounders. Properly gripping a bat remains a challenge, though.
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