The Pirates are piecing together Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox with a bullpen plan, and Lake Bachar will be the one to get it started.
Bachar is set to take the ball in the first inning for his ninth start of the season. The right-hander has quietly become a useful multi-inning option for Pittsburgh, going at least two innings in eight of his 11 appearances since the beginning of August. The expectation is that he’ll be asked to cover more than just an opening frame again Wednesday before the rest of the innings are handled by the relief corps.
Khristian Curtis gives the Pirates another arm who can help soak up innings. Recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis last week, the 24-year-old worked three innings against the Giants on Thursday, allowing two runs on one hit while striking out two and walking three in a Pirates win. In limited major league work this season, Curtis has been effective, posting a 1.64 ERA with seven strikeouts over 11 innings.
With Bachar opening and Curtis available behind him, Pittsburgh will be trying to get through the night without overtaxing the rest of the bullpen.
There was better news on the injury front for Ryan O’Hearn, who began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday as he works back from a left quad strain. Batting second and playing seven innings at first base, O’Hearn went 1-for-3 and wasted no time making contact.
He fell behind former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin 0-2 in his first at-bat, then drilled a double to center field. He later popped out and struck out.
According to Indianapolis Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman, the plan for Ryan O’Hearn is to play 1B tonight, DH tomorrow, and 1B on Thursday.
All indications that O’Hearn will be activated by the #Pirates, for the weekend series in Wrigley.
- Jason Shetler (@Jason_Shetler) September 8, 2026
O’Hearn has been out since July 31, when he hurt his left quad running to first base in Cincinnati. The Pirates originally expected him to miss six to eight weeks, and he now appears to be trending toward the early side of that window.
If all goes according to plan, O’Hearn could be back with the Pirates in Chicago on Friday and possibly activated Saturday for the Cubs series. That would be a real lift for Pittsburgh’s lineup. In his first season on a two-year, $29 million deal, O’Hearn is hitting .270 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI in 96 games.
The Pirates also made a bullpen move Tuesday, placing Isaac Mattson on the 15-day injured list with right hip inflammation, retroactive to Sept. 6.
Mattson last appeared Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, when he gave up three runs on four hits in Pittsburgh’s 6-1 loss. He has pitched in 38 games this season and owns a 5.35 ERA over 38.2 innings.
To replace him, Pittsburgh recalled left-hander Brandon Eisert from Triple-A Indianapolis. Eisert has a 6.23 ERA in nine appearances with the Pirates this season after coming over from the White Sox in July in the same trade that also sent infielder Jacob Gonzalez to Pittsburgh.
In Other News...
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The velocity trend is the part that matters most for Pittsburgh now. Skenes has reached 98 mph in three straight starts for the first time since June, but his recent averages have still been his lowest of the season, a reminder that his late-year workload is being watched closely. He has a few outings left before the Pirates and their ace have to sort out whether the dip is just a temporary fade or something that will require real adjustments to his approach. [Read more 🡒]
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Since Aug. 3, Chandler has made seven starts with a 3.38 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 37 1/3 innings, a stretch that has only strengthened the sense that his stuff is translating. For Pittsburgh, the appeal goes beyond one strong outing, because the recent run is starting to look less like a flash and more like the early shape of a pitcher who could become a major-league force. [Read more 🡒]
Bryan Reynolds Is Heating Up At The Perfect Time For Pirates
Bryan Reynolds keeps finding ways to matter, and the Pirates are feeling it at just the right moment. In Tuesdays 9-3 win over the White Sox, he doubled twice and scored a run, another sign that the switch-hitting outfielder has shaken off the midseason lull that had slowed him down. For a Pittsburgh club still one game below .500, every bit of steadiness in the middle of the order matters.
Reynolds now has an active 18-game on-base streak, the longest in Major League Baseball, and it has come as the Pirates try to stay in the National League Wild Card chase with 17 games left. The timing could hardly be better for a team that needs its best hitters to keep producing if it wants September to mean something. Reynolds is giving them exactly that kind of late-season lift, even if the bigger question around the club is still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]