Pirates Make Lineup Change After Spencer Horwitz Neck Issue
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are close to first pitch in their next game, but made a change concerning their first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
The Pirates announced that they took Horwitz out of the lineup ahead of their series opener vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field due to him dealing with neck discomfort.
Ryan O'Hearn, who was previously playing right field, now moves to first base and stays second in the batting order, while Jake Mangum comes off the bench and starts in right field for the Pirates, hitting seventh in the lineup.
Second baseman Nick Gonzales, in for Brandon Lowe who is dealing with left knee pain, moves up one spot to sixth lineup, but the rest of the batting order will remain the same.
Overview of Spencer Horwitz's 2026 Season With Pirates
This is the first game that Horwitz has missed with injury, but he missed a great deal of time in 2025 with a wrist injury, which kept him out of Spring Training and from making his Pirates debut until May 17, missing the first 45 games of the season.
Horwitz has had a solid showing for the Pirates in 2026, slashing .255/.382/.400 for an OPS of .782, with 14 hits in 55 at-bats, eight runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and 11 walks to 13 strikeouts.
It's a follow up from his strong season last year, where he slashed .272/.353/.434 for an OPS of .787 in 108 games, with 99 hits, 55 runs scored, 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 51 RBI and 44 walks to 73 strikeouts.
Horwitz ranked second on the Pirates in doubles, third in runs scored fourth in home runs, tied for fourth in hits and fifth in both RBI and walks in 2025.
He has started 17 of 19 games played at first base for the Pirates in 2026, with O'Hearn playing 10 games there and starting at the position three times.
Horwitz had a three-hit game in the 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 17, with all three hits coming against right-handed starting pitcher Nick Martinez, making him a surprising 10-for-10 in his career.
It was a great homestand for Horwitz, who slashed .333/.478/.722 for an OPS of 1.200 over seven games, with six hits in 18 at-bats, four runs scored, a double, two home runs, three RBI and four walks to three strikeouts.
The Pirates will hope that Horwitz returns soon and provides a steady bat at the backend of their lineup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.