With all the offseason drama surrounding Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen - moving to right field from center to the rumors of being traded from the only team he's ever known - he was going to be monitored closely. So far, the results have not been encouraging.

Nearing the end of May, McCutchen is nursing career lows across the board from batting average (.203) and slugging (.360), while making hard contact less often than any season since his rookie campaign. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle benched him for Wednesday's game despite being without outfielders Gregory Polanco (injury) and Starling Marte (suspension).

He's taking his slump in stride, however, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Stephen J. Nesbitt.

"I lay my head down at night, and I sleep pretty good," he said. "Many people would like to think I'm beating myself up. I’m not. I know some people may feel I should be. But there’s a lot of other things in the world that matter. I just try and put things in perspective every single night."

For McCutchen, despite the low batting totals, this season represents an improvement.

"It’s a lot better (than 2016). I can say that," McCutchen said. "Even though I’m .200 right now, at least I know what it is. I know what I’m doing (wrong). Last year, I had no clue."

He added that he's out in front of most pitches, pulling them, and forcing opponents to be more aggressive with shifts and for pitchers to throw more fastballs inside. McCutchen thinks it's all a matter of waiting back instead of rushing.

McCutchen might not be far off regarding his overall improvements. He already has five stolen bases after only swiping six in all of 2016. He does have fewer home runs than he did at this point a year ago, but he's also striking out less.

Despite Wednesday's benching, McCutchen appeared as a pinch hitter, going 1-for-2 with a run scored in a 12-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves. After going a combined 0-for-12 in the previous three games, it's a start.