Game: Mets (40-48) at Pirates (54-36)

Time: 7:05 p.m.

Site: PNC Park

TV, radio: Root Sports, KDKA-FM 93.7

Weather: 76 and cloudy

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The Pirates made a trade today, receiving Russ Canzler from the Baltimore Orioles organization in exchange for Tim Alderson.

Canzler, 27, appeared in the majors in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays and '12 with the Cleveland Indians. He was hitting .276/.369/.430 with 11 home runs. He played mostly first base and left field.

The Pirates added Canzler to the 40-man roster after the trade and optioned him to Class AAA Indianapolis. To make room, the Pirates moved James McDonald to the 60-day disabled list. McDonald hasn't pitched since early May, so the move was procedural.

The Chicago Cubs drafted Canzler in the 30th round in 2004.

The Pirates originally acquired Alderson, a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Freddy Sanchez in 2009. He advanced to Class AAA Indianapolis in 2012 and '13 and had a 2.93 ERA in 41 innings there.

Bat vs. pitch

Morton vs. Mets: Buck 1-3, Byrd 1-9, Davis 2-5, Duda 3-7, Murphy 2-10, Nieuwenhuis 2-2, Wright 1-7

Hefner vs. Pirates: Alvarez 2-3, Barmes 0-1, Harrison 0-2, Jones 0-3, Marte 1-3, McCutchen 0-3, McKenry 0-3

Lineups

Mets

1. Eric Young Jr. LF
2. Daniel Murphy 2B
3. David Wright 3B
4. Ike Davis 1B
5. Marlon Byrd RF
6. Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF
7. Anthony Recker C
8. Omar Quintanilla SS
9. Jeremy Hefner RHP

Pirates

1. Starling Marte LF
2. Jose Tabata RF
3. Andrew McCutchen CF
4. Pedro Alvarez 3B
5. Russell Martin C
6. Garrett Jones 1B
7. Jordy Mercer 2B
8. Clint Barmes SS
9. Charlie Morton RHP

Update 5:43 p.m.: Pre-game notes.

***Hurdle said he was happy David Wright selected Pedro Alvarez to replace Carlos Gonzalez in the Home Run Derby.

"It’s out of our control," Hurdle said. "Everything happens for a reason. He wasn’t picked initially for a reason. Everybody got the gyrate and throw their hands up in the air and deal with their angst, and all of a sudden now he’s on. I’m just enjoying the ride.

"We will watch. Watched last year because Andrew [McCutchen] was in it. He’s got his number one fan at least in our household. Maddie’s [Hurdle's daughter] going to have her jersey on, she’s ramped up, she’s ready to go."

***On what the scouts saw in Canzler:

"I they saw a right-handed hitting corner option and multiple positions and a guy that’s had some success with the bat. I left him a call, a voice mail today."

Hurdle said Canzler would play first and third base and right field in Indianapolis.

***The Pirates will likely re-order their rotation after the break.

"I think there’s importance in not having too many gaps if you don’t have to," said Hurdle, who noted that opening against the Reds in the second half affected the discussions.

We didn't talk about this with Hurdle, but it's relevant: Gerrit Cole pitched 132 innings last season. This year, between the majors and the minors, he has 1042/3 innings. The Pirates play 69 games in the second half of the season, giving each starter between 13 and 14 starts. If Cole averaged five innings a start in 13 starts, he would finish the year with 1692/3 innings.

Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci tracks innings increases for young pitchers and the effect it has on them the following season. It's not fool-proof, but the correlation is there. Here is his most recent piece, before this season, on the issue.

The Pirates may put Cole at the back of the rotation and skip his start from time to time so 13 or 14 starts becomes 11 or 12. Or they may trust the 6-4, 240-pound horse to do his thing and not worry about it. Something to consider.

***Hurdle on Charlie Morton:

"The one difference that you see is added velocity and I believe that’s from time down as much as anything, being away for over a year. As far as spinning the ball, sinking the ball, having the ability to throw a four-seamer, I think he’s in as good a position as he’s been to take next steps. There’s a number of next steps he wants to take, he’ll try and take them one at a time. He’s always going to live by the ground ball. If that stops happening, I think we’re getting in the wrong lane with him."

***The Pirates are still working through whether or not Jeff Locke can pitch in the All-Star game. That is probably tied to their decision on the rotation. One option, pure speculation: They have him start Friday's game against the Reds, using the All-Star game as his side session, but that means bumping A.J. Burnett back to Saturday against the Reds. They may want Burnett as a tone setter against Cincinnati given the history between the two.

First Published: March 24, 2016, 5:14 p.m.