Pirates left fielder Corey Dickerson batted leadoff for the first time this season in the first game of the Washington series Monday.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Dickerson has experience with it earlier in his career, spending time in the leadoff slot with the Rays last season.
Over the next eight games, which Hurdle emphasized he will take day-by-day, the Pirates manager will look to find some stability, but said the personnel shifts are an attempt to get more out of the offense than it’s given as of late.
Against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, Hurdle slotted Josh Bell in the leadoff spot, drawing comparisons to Joe Maddon’s frequent decision to bat left-hander Anthony Rizzo in the first spot of the lineup.