Pirates' Spencer Horwitz Struggling Massively Post-Injury
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates hoped that first baseman Spencer Horwitz coming back from injury would bolster their lineup, but it just hasn't played out that way.
Horwitz returned from a left hamstring injury and concussion on Aug. 2, that kept him out for 33 games starting with June 25, but he hasn't hit anywhere near the levels he was prior.
The Pirates first baseman has slashed .159/.237/.174 for an OPS of .411 in his last 18 games, with 11 hits in 69 at-bats, a double as his lone extra-base hit, no home runs, five RBI and five walks to 16 strikeouts.
Horwitz was the Pirates' best hitter last season and had great success in the first half, but his second half struggles haven't helped the team in their quest for a spot in the postseason.
Pirates Missing Horwitz's Production
The Pirates were one of the best offenses in baseball prior to the All-Star break and Horwitz was a big part of that.
Horwitz hit .281/.386/.455 for an OPS of .842, with 69 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 33 RBI and 40 walks to 40 strikeouts.
The improvement in plate discipline for Horwitz was a big one, as he ranked sixth in National League/12th in baseball in on-base percentage, while his 40 walks ranked tied-13th most in National League and tied-27th most in baseball, when he suffered his injury.
Horwitz was also someone the Pirates moved around the batting order, having him hit lower earlier on in the season, and then moving up to the leadoff spot.
He hit well as the first hitter in the Pirates lineup, .276/.388/.469 for an OPS of .857, and had a few leadoff home runs too, becoming an instant impact in numerous games.
Horwitz not hitting the way he has is a big part of the Pirates not playing as well as they did in the first half of 2026 and why they are 7.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race.
Pirates Offense Struggling As of Late
The Pirates have had a few other players struggle this month, like left fielder Bryan Reynolds and rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez, but none more than Horwitz.
Horwitz has been the worst hitter since the All-Star break, in terms of weighted runs created plus (wRC+) with 17 (minimum of 70 plate appearances), per FanGraphs.
The Pirates offense as a whole has struggled, ranking amongst the bottom in most statistical categories since the All-Star break as whole.
It also hasn't helped that the Pirates have lost the likes of first baseman Ryan O'Hearn, shortstop Konnor Griffin and catcher Endy Rodríguez to injury, while center fielder Oneil Cruz just came back from being out with a left hand fracture for two moths.
Horwitz said after the Pirates got swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium last weekend, Aug. 21-23, that they all have to get back to doing what they do best, especially if they really want to try and make a run at the playoffs.
“Yeah the belief is still there," Horwitz said after the Dodgers' series. "I haven’t been good since I came back from my injury. We had guys stepping up while I was out and we’ve got to get those guys clicking at the same time.”
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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.