HOUSTON -- First baseman Steve Pearce will be out of action until August, as the Pirates' medical staff will perform an injection in his left knee tomorrow and prescribe at least a week of rest after that.

Pearce was examined this afternoon in Pittsburgh by Dr. Patrick DeMeo, the team physician, and it was decided that his patella tendinitis was not severe enough for surgery. A platelet-rich plasma injection will be administered aimed at accelerating the healing. From there, Pearce will have no activity for 7-10 days, then resume treatment and exercises.

General manager Neal Huntington said that surgery remains an option if the current course does not work, but he expressed optimism that it will based on the doctors' findings.

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