PITTSBURGH -- Ryan Doumit was activated from the 15-day disabled list Saturday and available off the Pirates' bench against the Rockies. Catcher Erik Kratz was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room for Doumit.

Doumit, who was on the DL with a concussion, is expected to split time with Lastings Milledge in right field and Chris Snyder at catcher. Doumit made four rehab appearances with Indianapolis, playing catcher, designated hitter and right field, where he had no balls hit to him Tuesday in his only rehab start there.

Doumit, who said he feels no limitations, has played in right field 40 times for the Pirates, with 36 of those appearances coming in 2007. He has played right field just once since then, however.

"It was all right," Doumit said of his rehab start in right. "I think I've played enough out there in my career to feel comfortable. It's been a couple years, but I feel all right out there, actually, I enjoy it out there.

"It's unfortunate that nothing was hit my way, but I think those guys knew better," he added with a smile.

Pirates manager John Russell said he will have to "juggle around" ways to play Doumit, Milledge and Snyder.

"We'll piece it together, but it's going to be a little bit of a challenge to make sure we get all the guys in, get some playing time," Russell said, adding, "I know he was ready to come back here, so it's good to have him back."

Kratz, meanwhile, had an optimistic view in seeing his first big league stint come to a close.

"Any time you play against better competition, you learn from your mistakes, but you also learn from watching guys doing it very well at the level I want to be at for a long time, so if you can watch those guys and learn from those guys in a live setting, that's priceless information that you can gain," the 30-year-old Kratz said. "Would I love to stay longer? For sure. I would love never going back, but that's not the reality of the move that they made right now."

McCutchen, Jones have Rockies' number

PITTSBURGH -- Andrew McCutchen was not aware of his success against the Rockies this season and, perhaps out of superstition, was not comfortable talking about it.

"Why are you going to tell me that?" McCutchen said with a laugh.

Both McCutchen and Garrett Jones entered Saturday's game at PNC Park hitting .400 against the Rockies this season. The duo has helped the Pirates take three of five from the Rockies, all in the past week and a half, a figure that jumps out when looking at the fact Pittsburgh has dropped nine of its past 10 games against teams other than the Rockies.

"I think every guy has that team where they feel more comfortable at, or stadium or whatnot," Jones said. "Right now I just feel like I've gotten some pitches to hit and just haven't missed them against these guys. I don't think it's really anything different. Just feeling comfortable and just keep working on my swing and just getting pitches to hit and not missing them is really what it comes down to."

In five games against the Rockies this season, Jones has gone 8-for-20 with three home runs, six RBIs, three runs and three doubles. McCutchen has gone 6-for-15 with three runs and three doubles in four games against Colorado.

Jones' first-inning home run to the top of the stands above the Clemente Wall in right field on Thursday helped snap an 0-for-20 skid, as he recorded just one hit in the two series the Pirates played in between last week's three-game set at Denver and the four-game set they started Thursday.

McCutchen's leadoff single Friday was the Pirates' only hit until the sixth inning, though he can't put a finger on his big numbers against one opponent.

"You might face someone and feel a little more comfortable against that person than you do another person," McCutchen said. "But for the most part, I mean, team-wise, I don't really look at it any way. I just kind of go out there and hit."

Clement succeeding with new plate approach

PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Clement was not bitter when he was optioned to the Minors on June 9. His .189 batting average with the Pirates probably did not give him much reason to be, either.

"In hindsight, it was a really good thing that I did go down there," he said.

The 40-game stint with Triple-A Indianapolis gave Clement the chance to work with Indians hitting coach Jeff Branson, who helped him control his hand movement on the bat. The technique shortened his swing, something Pirates manager John Russell was hoping Clement could do at the Majors to make his body more direct to the ball when in the batter's box.

"This atmosphere up here, it's tough to make those kind of adjustments sometimes because you want to succeed so much and you want to try to get hits when you're in there," Russell said.

Clement quickly saw the dividends of his new approach. He hit .305 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs at Indianapolis, finishing 9-for-16 over his past four games before making it back to the Pirates on July 31.

"It wasn't long till I felt like myself again, and it's just a matter of rhythm and tempo," Clement said. "You look at any good hitter or any hitter at any level, the only way you're going to have success is by having good tempo, good rhythm and good timing, and I didn't have that here. I was really mechanical. I was thinking about the mechanics of the swing rather than just being on time, and if you're on time, you've got a chance to hit."

Russell noted the benefits of Clement's time in the Minors.

"He was able to, I wouldn't say sacrifice at-bats, but really try to implement what he's doing, maybe not getting a few hits to continue," Russell said. "And it paid off for him."

That has shown in Clement's first week back with the Pirates, as he has gone 3-for-6 off the bench with a pair of home runs.

While admitting that starting is the obvious goal for anyone at the Major League level, Clement said he will for now make the most of the same role he had with the Mariners in 2007 and 2008, when he went 8-for-17 as a pinch-hitter.

"It's just about staying locked into the game, realizing when they might use you and being ready when they do," Clement said.

Worth noting

Saturday's game was the sixth consecutive sold out Saturday night game at PNC Park and the seventh sellout at PNC Park this season. There were four in 2009 and nine in 2008. The Pirates entered Saturday 4-2 this season in front of sold-out PNC Park crowds. ... Chan Ho Park's appearance Friday marked the 45th different player the Pirates used this season. The club record in a single season is 49 (1987 and 2001). Park was also the 25th different pitcher the Pirates have used this season. The record for most pitchers used in a single season is 26, set in 2008. ... Triple-A Indianapolis activated Aki Iwamura from the seven-day disabled list Saturday. Jim Negrych was assigned to Double-A Altoona. ... Right-hander Brad Lincoln gave up nine runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings in Indianapolis' 10-1 loss to Durham in the first game of a doubleheader Friday. Lincoln has given up 13 runs (12 earned) on 13 hits over 9 1/3 innings in his two starts with Indianapolis since the Pirates optioned him July 26. ... Short-season A State College had three players named to the New York-Penn League All-Star team. Left-hander Jonathan Ramos, first baseman Matt Curry and outfielder Adalberto Santos will represent the National League team in the Aug. 17 contest in Staten Island, N.Y.