How Pirates Will Manage With Ryan O'Hearn Injury
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CINCINNATI — The Pittsburgh Pirates lost one of their most important players to injury in Ryan O'Hearn and must find ways to replace him going forward.
O'Hearn suffered a left quad strain in the 8-7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 31, as he tried to beat out a ground ball in the top of the ninth inning to try and salvage the game.
The Pirates announced a six-to-eight week injury return timeline for O'Hearn, which puts him on track to come back Sept. 11-25.
It's bad news for a Pirates team that has dealt with injuries, but they'll have to figure out how to deal with O'Hearn's absence.
Where Pirates Turn To After O'Hearn Injury
The Pirates are anticipating Spencer Horwitz to return soon, who hasn't played since June 24, dealing with a left hamstring injury and more recently a concussion.
Horwitz is fully healthy from his hamstring, but suffered that concussion after getting hit in the helmet with a pitch in his last game on his rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on July 25.
He will take over first base fully when he returns, but there are some other options the Pirates have at the position.
The Pirates went with rookie Rafael Flores Jr. at first base in the following game vs. the Reds on Aug. 1, a 4-1 win.
Pittsburgh had just gotten Flores back, after he missed the past week with a concussion on the 7-day injured list, activating him ahead of the game.
Flores is one option, as he can also play catcher, but with O'Hearn out, it's likely he gets a few more shots at first base.
The Pirates have other options at first base that Pirates manager Don Kelly mentioned pre-game, which include both utility man Jared Triolo and infielder Jacob Gonzales.
"Flores, we've got a bunch of guys that can play over there," Kelly said. "We saw Endy there yesterday. Triolo, Jacob Gonzalez, Spencer. Hopefully when Spence comes back, he's going to get a lot of time over there."
Pirates Already Have Right Field Replacement
The Pirates originally had O'Hearn in right field to start the season, but he moved back to his natural position of right field
Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez has solidified his role in right field, as he's hit incredibly well and also played solid defense.
Valdez has hit .268/.365/.641 for an OPS of 1.006 in 43 games, with 38 hits in 142 at-bats, nine doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 38 RBI and 22 walks to 57 strikeouts.
He has provided the Pirates a right-handed power bat and put himself in some serious MLB history with his 14 home runs, making him a feared hitter at just 22 years old.
The Pirates best outfield is Valdez in right field, Oneil Cruz in center field when he returns from injury and Bryan Reynolds in left field.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.