clear a space

Pittsburgh, seeking more punch in its lineup, has called up highly regarded prospect Starling Marte. That’s bad news for Ole Miss alumnus Alex Presley. Marte has displaced Presley, at least for tonight, as the Pirates’ leadoff batter and left fielder. Presley, who batted .298 in 2011, is hitting just .231 this season. Marte, a five-tool talent, was batting .286 with 21 doubles, 13 triples and 12 home runs in Triple-A. He might not be ready to take over as a major league regular, but then again, he doesn’t have to do a lot to give the Bucs more than Presley was putting up.