CHICAGO -- The Pirates’ offense is receiving its final reinforcement for the home stretch. Veteran slugger Ryan O'Hearn is with the team at Wrigley Field and was activated off the 10-day injured list on Friday. Outfielder Ronny Simon was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
In his first season of a two-year, $29 million deal with the Pirates, O’Hearn is batting .270 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs despite playing in only 96 games. O’Hearn also sparked one of the highlights of the summer with a 10-RBI night on July 7. He’s missed time with two different IL stints for both his left and right quads.
O’Hearn suffered the injury on July 31 in Cincinnati while running to first base in the ninth inning. He required assistance getting off the field and used a crutch in the clubhouse postgame. O’Hearn suffered a right quad injury earlier in the season, but returned far before his expected timeline. He did the same with the left quad, as he didn’t need surgery and returned on the early end of a six-to-eight-week expected absence.
O’Hearn began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Indianapolis and went 1-for-3 with a double in his first at-bat while also playing seven innings at first base. He served as the designated hitter for seven innings on Wednesday and took off on Thursday before joining the Major League club in Chicago.
The Pirates scored 5.16 runs per game in contests O’Hearn appeared in as opposed to 4.24 without him. His veteran presence gives an added edge to the lineup, and he’ll likely slot in at first base and designated hitter while avoiding the outfield at least for the rest of the year.
When he first went down with the injury, O’Hearn was adamant that he wanted to return with a chance to help the Pirates reach the playoffs. Pittsburgh’s chances are slim (4 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race), but a recent hot streak has kept its hopes alive as O’Hearn returns to action.