The Pittsburgh Pirates were expecting Spencer Horwitz back soon. Instead, they’re waiting longer than planned after a new setback slowed his return.
Manager Don Kelly said Horwitz was diagnosed with a concussion after being hit in the head by a pitch, and the team will check on him daily before deciding when he can be cleared. Kelly also said Horwitz had a headache on July 26, and those symptoms have not gone away.
The injury happened in Horwitz’s last game on his rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on July 25. He was struck in the helmet, stayed in the game and later hit a solo home run anyway.
General manager Ben Cherington said on The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that Horwitz avoided taking the pitch to the jaw because of the C-Flap on his helmet, but the club was still making sure he was fine before activating him.
Horwitz had returned to Pittsburgh on July 26 as the Pirates evaluated whether he could come back from the left hamstring injury that sent him to the 10-day injured list on June 25. That injury came a day earlier, when he tried to beat out a double play in the Pirates’ 11-1 win over the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park on June 24 and had to leave the game.
The rehab work in Bradenton was meant to get him fully back from a soft tissue injury that can be tough to shake. In three rehab games, Horwitz went 2-for-6 with three walks, two strikeouts and that solo homer.
For now, Horwitz does not need a new injured list move for the concussion because he is already on the 10-day injured list.
While he’s out, the Pirates will keep leaning on Ryan O’Hearn at first base. O’Hearn has started 22 games there and has played in nearly every game since Horwitz got hurt, hitting .253/.336/.455 with an .791 OPS, 25 hits, two doubles, six home runs, 24 RBI and 10 walks against 27 strikeouts.
Pittsburgh does have a few other first-base options if needed. Tyler Callihan has started five games there, Endy Rodríguez has made one start, and Jacob Gonzalez could also handle the spot.
The Pirates are hoping Horwitz’s absence doesn’t stretch much longer. When healthy, he was an important piece of the lineup, and the club expects that to be true again once he’s back.
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