Ryan O’Hearn is moving closer to a return, and the Pittsburgh Pirates may not have to wait much longer for Kirby Yates either.
O’Hearn is set to start a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Indianapolis as he continues his recovery from a left quad strain. The veteran first baseman/outfielder has been out since Aug. 1, and the rehab stint will be his first step back toward the majors.
Ryan O’Hearn will begin a rehab assignment tomorrow with Triple-A Indianapolis. Lines up with my previous expectation for him to return against the Cubs.
- Jason Mackey (@JMackey_PGH) September 7, 2026
This is already O’Hearn’s second quad-related absence of the season. He also missed about two weeks in May with a right quad strain, so this assignment gives Pittsburgh a chance to see how his body responds before making a decision on activating him.
Before the injury, O’Hearn had been one of the club’s most reliable bats. In 96 games during his first season with the Pirates, the 33-year-old hit .270 with a .788 OPS, along with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs.
That kind of production matters for a Pittsburgh offense that has been uneven in the second half. O’Hearn gives the Pirates a middle-of-the-order presence they’ve missed, and his return would come at a time when every productive at-bat matters.
He has also brought veteran experience to a fairly young clubhouse. The nine-year major leaguer signed a two-year, $29 million deal with Pittsburgh last offseason, and Tuesday’s rehab assignment is the clearest sign yet that he’s nearing a return as the Pirates chase a September playoff push.
The Pirates also got a hopeful update on Yates, who could be back in the bullpen around the time he’s first eligible to come off the 15-day injured list. General manager Ben Cherington said Sunday on his weekly radio show that the team is optimistic about that timeline.
Yates went on the IL retroactive to Aug. 31 with a right shoulder impingement, which makes Sept. 15 his earliest possible return date.
The issue flared after a heavy outing on Aug. 26 against the San Diego Padres, when he threw 35 pitches. Cherington said Yates didn’t bounce back as well as the Pirates expected, so the club chose to let the shoulder settle down rather than push it and risk making things worse.
Since arriving from the Los Angeles Angels at the Aug. 4 trade deadline, Yates has been a strong addition. In 13 appearances for Pittsburgh, he has posted a 2.19 ERA over 12.1 innings.
If Yates is back near Sept. 15, the Pirates would add another experienced late-inning arm for the final stretch of the season.
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Kirby Yates has quickly become one of the more important bullpen pieces the Pirates added at the trade deadline, so his move to the 15-day injured list landed as a notable setback. The right-hander was placed there retroactive to Aug. 31 because of a right shoulder impingement, just weeks after Pittsburgh acquired him from the Angels on Aug. 4 and watched him post a 2.19 ERA across 13 appearances.
General manager Ben Cherington said Yates is expected back around his eligibility date of Sept. 15, which gives the Pirates at least some reason to believe the injury will be a short detour. For a bullpen that was counting on Yates to stabilize late innings, the real issue now is how long it can bridge the gap and whether he returns looking like the same arm Pittsburgh thought it had just added. [Read more 🡒]