Battling Bucs : State of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Let's take a look at our current Pittsburgh Pirates.
Out 1B platoon which looked effective early on in the year has gone ice cold since June. Our 2B has a bad back and can't seem to stay on the field. Our 3B has taken the steps forward we have been waiting for in regards to his plate discipline but it has cost him some of his power and the ability to throw the ball to 1B. Our LF is coming off a concussion and now finds himself in CF. Our all world CF finds himself with a broken rib that will likely land him on the DL but the team has decided to pray for a miracle for a few days. Our RF after a nice start to his career is going throw typical rookie growing pains. The guy who is currently our best hitter was the 25h man to begin the year and our current 25th man is quite possibly the worst hitting non pitcher in baseball. Our backup catcher who came in with a sparkling defensive reputation has shown very little of it. Our backup SS who was widely despised for his lack of bat is injured and is now actually missed by many of those who despised him.
Our ace has been uneven all year, is coming back from an injury and it had gotten to the point people wanted him out of the rotation. Our ace in waiting finds himself struggling to get back into form after an injury and their are cries he should be shut down for the rest of the season. Our promising pitching prospect who was supposed to help this year finds himself on the shelf with Tommy John surgery. The other pitching prospect who might have been able to step up is getting knocked around in AAA. The back of the rotation are filled with reclamation arms the fans would have long since removed from the team. The bullpen has been imploding while the one actual steady pitcher in it has been the victim of a ton of unwarranted criticism. The two arms left go from the pen are thriving in new locales.
All of the above has happened and yet these Pirates somehow someway find themselves in the midst of a pennant race. It is improbable yet here they are. Some people are suggesting a third of the current team needs to turned over if they are to have a chance but that can't possibly be true. If the current group can survive all of the above and somehow find themselves where they currently are then this team can on its own with no outside help pull off almost anything. This is a good ball club going through a horrible stretch of luck. Bullpen held would be appreciated, another arm for the rotation wouldn't be a and idea, a right handed bat for the outfield would help out as would somebody to play the infield but the solutions to most if not all of these issues are going to have to come from within. That's not a bad thing the team has answered the bell to every crazy challenge thrown its way so far this year and while this one may be the toughest one at all we all know they have the capability of surviving it. The road ahead isn't easy but a massive overhaul isn't the answer the only way our Pirates are going to survive this is to stay the course.

We sure have been resilient. 1B hasn't been very good at the beginning of the year. To me, Mercer and Harrison have done the best job stepping up to the plate to carry the team. Walker is missed more than any other player right now IMO. The bullpen is still our weakest link, one year removed from being as dominant as any.

And I didn't realize Alvarez was put on the bereavement list.