The Curve already had one of the top hitters in the Eastern League playing first base, then they received another first baseman who leads the minors in home runs

Which one should play, the way minor league baseball works, is not up for debate

Steven Pearce is a 24-year-old prospect just up from Single-A Lynchburg who was ripping the cover off the ball with 11 homers in a 13-day span

Even though Randy Ruiz may be Altoona’s most productive hitter, he’s 29 and not a prospect, so he must give way to Pearce
Ruiz could be ticked off and sulk about the situation, but to his credit, he’s handled it professionally

‘‘I understand’’ Ruiz said
‘‘A guy did well, he’s a prospect here, and you can’t get upset about this
It’s part of the game
This guy’s good
Steve put up some good numbers and deserves to be here’’

Pearce certainly does deserve it after hitting .347 with 24 RBIs in 19 games for Lynchburg
He said the Pirates told him in spring training - ‘‘You hit, we’ll get you out of there quick’’ - and even he’s surprised how fast the promotion came

‘‘I was expecting to play good and get out of there by the all-star break’’ Pearce said ‘‘but fortunately I got hot early and it got me up here’’

Pearce, the Pirates’ No. 6 prospect, is off to a solid start with the Curve at .273 with a homer and four RBIs in six games

Ruiz is hitting .329, ranks third in the Eastern League with 20 RBIs and is tied for tops on the team with four homers

This could have turned into a bad situation for Ruiz, costing him a ton of playing time
That’s not going to be the case, though, for two reasons
The Curve are in a stretch where they play 23 of 27 games against American League affiliates, so Ruiz will have plenty of chances to be the designated hitter for a while
To keep his bat in games against National League affiliates, the Curve will use Ruiz in the outfield, where he’s played sparingly in his career

‘‘I know I’m going to get at-bats, and we’ll see what happens’’ Ruiz said

‘‘He may lose an at-bat here or there, but we’re going to find a place for him to play’’ Curve manager Tim Leiper said
‘‘He’s obviously a cornerstone of our lineup’’

Leiper pointed out Ruiz’s positive attitude about the Pearce situation ‘‘just shows what a good team guy he is’’
‘‘Usually a lot of guys’ first reaction would be upset and question a lot of things, but he’s handled it great’’ the manager said

Ruiz, who will be tried in leftfield, has appeared in only 29 games as an outfielder in his nine-year minor league career
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has played the outfield in winter ball, as well

‘‘I haven’t played out there in a long time’’ Ruiz said ‘‘but I’m just going to go out there and give it my best’’

‘‘He looks fine’’ Leiper said of Ruiz’s outfield workouts

It should be worth losing a little defense to keep Ruiz’s bat in the lineup
As long as he proves adequate in left, having him and Pearce in the lineup together can only enhance an already strong offense

‘‘It’s good that a guy of his caliber doesn’t have an attitude problem about it’’ Pearce said of bumping Ruiz off first
‘‘He handled it professionally, and the way he carries himself, I look up to him’’

Pearce credits his success to plate discipline, laying off bad pitches and waiting for ones he can drive
He’s also shown to be outstanding defensively in his brief time in Double-A

It’s his power potential, though, that makes Pearce an intriguing prospect
He hit 26 homers last season between two Single-A stops, an impressive figure for his first full year in the minors

‘‘You watch the little things in batting practice, he’s doing a lot of stuff right and he puts himself in a good position to have success’’ Leiper said

If anybody has reason to worry about the Pearce addition, it’s Leiper
He’s now left with the task of getting numerous quality hitters enough at-bats - guys like Brett Roneberg, Vic Buttler (when he comes off the disabled list) and Alex Fernandez, along with everyday players like Pearce, Ruiz, Adam Boeve and Andrew McCutchen

‘‘With the depth we have, we’re able to get guys days off and keep them fresh’’ Leiper said

There’s a fine line, though, between time off to get fresh and getting rusty from too much time off

Still, every manager loves having too many good players rather than not enough, and that’s the position Leiper currently finds himself in