Pirates Reveal Next DH Options After Marcell Ozuna DFA
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MILWAUKEE — The Pittsburgh Pirates have moved on from Marcell Ozuna and now need someone to take on the designated hitter role.
The Pirates designated Ozuna for assignment on Aug. 4, ending his stay with the team after they signed him to a one-year, $12 million contract in the offseason.
It's not a big surprise that the Pirates parted ways with Ozuna, as he hit .203/.286/.327 for an OPS of .612 in 70 games, with 51 hits in 251 at-bats, seven doubles, eight home runs, 29 RBI and 27 walks to 80 strikeouts.
The Pirates now need a new designated hitter and someone that can provide some offense for a lineup that's slumping and manager Don Kelly has an idea of who can fill that role.
"[Bryan] Reynolds is gonna be there tonight," Kelly said pregame. "We’re gonna see Spencer [Horwitz] there. Got [Brandon] Lowe there last night. Honestly, just trying to figure it out. We could even see [Esmerlyn] Valdez there. He’s been playing a ton. Just trying to have some flexibility to be able to keep the bats in the lineup and also get them off their feet."
How Pirates Will Utilize DH After Ozuna DFA
Reynolds is the player who will most likely serve as designated hitter the most going forward for the Pirates.
He started 13 games there after Ozuna stopped being the starting designated hitter in late May and has played there 18 times total.
Reynolds has struggled post All-Star break, batting .197/.265/.289 for an OPS of .555, with 15 hits in 76 at-bats, four doubles, one home run, four RBI and seven walks to 28 strikeouts.
Perhaps focusing more on designated hitter will give him a chance to end this poor run of form and get back to his great hitting in June.
Horwitz just came back from the injured list, as he suffered a hamstring injury and then a concussion during his rehab assignment, before his official return on Aug. 2.
He has had a solid season overall, slashing .270/.373/.440 for an OPS of .813 in 78 games, with 70 hits, 12 doubles, 10 home runs, 36 RBI and 40 walks to 45 strikeouts and keeping his bat in the lineup, even when he's not playing first base, is big for the Pirates.
Lowe is mostly playing second base, but has served as designated hitter six times, as Kelly likes to give his veteran a break when he can.
His stats post All-Star break are encouraging, even with a slower start to August, as he's hitting .294/.338/.441 for an OPS of .779, so more time at designated hitter wouldn't be surprising.
Valdez has started the past 36 games in right field for the Pirates, batting .268/.395/.634 for an OPS of 1.029, with 33 hits, seven doubles, 12 home runs, 32 RBI and 26 walks to 54 strikeouts.
The breakout rookie could probably use a break or a day off, as he has slashed .067/.293/.133 for an OPS of .426 in his last 10 games, with just two hits in 30 at-bats.
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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.