Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was left out of the starting lineup on July 26 for the team's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
The move ended a stretch of 25 consecutive starts for Bregman as the Cubs aimed for a road sweep.
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Rookie Pedro Ramirez took over at third base and batted eighth against Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft.
To optimize the lineup against Ashcraft's pitching splits, the Cubs shifted Seiya Suzuki to designated hitter and placed Michael Conforto in right field.
Bregman remained listed among available players for the game, with no injury or illness reported.
The veteran infielder went 0-for-12 with two walks and four strikeouts over his previous three contests.
Over his past 26 games, spanning 121 plate appearances, Bregman produced a . 186/.
298/. 353 slash line alongside four home runs and 19 RBIs.
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Through 102 games this season, Bregman holds a . 237 batting average, a .
331 on-base percentage, and a . 682 OPS.
He signed a five-year, $175 million contract with Chicago during the offseason, which includes a full no-trade clause and deferred money that adjusts its average annual value to roughly $30 million.
Right-hander Jameson Taillon took the mound for Chicago opposite Ashcraft.
The Cubs entered the contest with a 59-45 record, standing second in the National League Central, while Pittsburgh sat at 53-52.
Lineups
Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF), Seiya Suzuki (DH), Michael Busch (1B), Ian Happ (LF), Nico Hoerner (2B), Michael Conforto (RF), Carson Kelly (C), Pedro Ramirez (3B), Dansby Swanson (SS).
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Pittsburgh Pirates: Jake Mangum (CF), Brandon Lowe (2B), Bryan Reynolds (DH), Esmerlyn Valdez (RF), Ryan O'Hearn (1B), Nick Gonzales (3B), Jacob Gonzalez (SS), Shawn Ross (C), Tyler Callihan (LF).
