BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates' management still sounds determined to have Kevin Hart in its opening-day rotation.

No matter his six walks and a hit batsman among the 12 batters he faced Wednesday in the 6-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers at McKechnie Field.

No matter the 53 pitches, including 34 balls, he needed to last 1 2/3 innings.

No matter the spring totals of 13 walks in 4 2/3 spring innings and a 15.43 ERA.

No matter that Daniel McCutchen, who is described by management as being in a duel with Hart for the fifth starter's job, has dramatically outpitched him to date.

Manager John Russell made clear after this one that Hart will have the rest of the spring to right himself.

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Today

Game: Pirates vs. Minnesota Twins, 1:05 p.m., Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers, Fla. RHP Ross Ohlendorf vs. RHP Carl Pavano. Other pitchers: Brian Bass, Chris Jakubauskas, Javier Lopez, Jean Machi, Jack Taschner.

TV, radio: None.

Camp roster: 53 players, including 28 pitchers, five catchers, 11 infielders, nine outfielders.

Injuries: RHP Octavio Dotel (oblique), RHP Joel Hanrahan (elbow), SS Ronny Cedeno (hand).

Opener: 18 days until the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park.

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"Fortunately, the way we're lined up with the off-days, we have pretty much all of spring training to make the evaluation," Russell said. "We'll just keep giving him the opportunity and see if he can work it out."

Asked if McCutchen currently is considered ahead of Hart, Russell replied, "I'm not going to say that. We're still in the evaluation process. We really like what Kevin can bring, but at some point, he's got to be able to get it done. Daniel's a consistent pitcher. We have options. But Kevin knows the situation he's in, and he'll keep fighting through it, hopefully."

Hart went 1-8 with a 6.92 ERA after being acquired last July from the Chicago Cubs in the John Grabow trade, and it was in that time that pitching coach Joe Kerrigan reworked his delivery. Hart worked all offseason to solidify that delivery, including countless daily repetitions in front of a mirror.

Hart, Kerrigan and others like what they have seen in bullpen sessions here, but ...

"He just hasn't been able to take it out into the game yet," Russell said. "You see signs of it, and then he reverts back a little bit."

Hart saw it much the same way.

"When the effort level that you're putting into the bullpen isn't transferring to the mound, you could say part of that is repeating delivery and part of that is being confident in my delivery and trusting it," he said. "And I didn't do that today."

Is Hart worried about not making the roster?

"I'll let them worry about that," he said. "It's funny because I think I can really succeed. That's the frustrating thing: I feel like I'm beating myself. I'd like to see some results. And I will. It's just a matter of time. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time right now."

McCutchen, in two relief appearances and a minor league intrasquad start, has given up one run over eight innings and has yet to walk anyone.

But the Pirates' transparent preference is for Hart, who management sees as having superior stuff and, thus, a higher upside: Hart has gotten all of the Grapefruit League starts between the two, and that will continue Sunday when McCutchen again is set to pitch in relief.

Management sees a scenario in which, if Hart shows even modest progress by spring's end, the three off-days in the April schedule allows for the fifth starter to pitch just once in the opening three weeks. If that is Hart, he could be limited to that one start and used in long relief while he continues to work with Kerrigan.

One possible lesson regarding Hart: No pitcher has struggled this much for the Pirates in a spring since Tom Gorzelanny walked 15 in 26 innings in 2007, but Gorzelanny made that rotation -- with some controversy -- and went on to a career year.

Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 3 and picked up his third steal of the spring, that off left-hander Nate Robertson. He also was thrown out for the second time, part of a no-risk goal he has set this spring of improving on his rookie steals total of 22.

"Cutch is being aggressive, trying to get better," Russell said.

Ryan Church sliced an RBI double to left-center in the second that put the Pirates ahead, 2-1, but his average is at .182.

No one is more exasperated than Brandon Moss, now 0 for 19 after a screamer right at the center fielder and his eighth strikeout.

Jeff Karstens followed Hart with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, needing only nine pitches. D.J. Carrasco and Brendan Donnelly each gave up two runs, and Detroit led, 5-1, after five.

As a reward for minor league players, the Pirates usually call up a player or two to appear late in Grapefruit League games. And that player generally is not noticed much.

Not so for Gift Ngoepe.

The first professional baseball player signed out of South Africa, a story brought to a wide audience by a Sports Illustrated article late last summer, was the choice Wednesday, and he responded with a highly energetic infield practice, a popup as a seventh-inning entry into the game, and a wide smile afterward.

"That's my stall right over there, between Jeremy Powell and Doug Bernier," he said, as if those non-roster players were household names. "I'm very happy to be here."

Ngoepe batted .238 for the rookie-level Pirates in 2009, with four doubles and a home run in 49 games. His defense was markedly better than the offense, which is why he likely will stay in rookie ball this year.

He spent most of the past offseason back in South Africa, including coaching at clinics. Some children, he said, would ask for his autograph.

On the impact of the SI story: "The whole world read it, probably, but it doesn't have to change who you are. You have to stay the same. I'm having fun."

• Shortstop Ronny Cedeno, whose right hand was lacerated Sunday, took batting practice and said he felt "fine" and expects to play today.

• Closer Octavio Dotel will pitch an inning in a minor league game today at Pirate City. If there is no issue with his strained oblique, he will get cleared for a Grapefruit League game by this weekend.

• Shortstop prospect Brian Friday's two-run home run lifted Class AAA Indianapolis to a 3-0 shutout of Lehigh Valley in the team's exhibition opener in Clearwater, Fla.

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