Ryan O’Hearn is back in Pittsburgh, and even if he’s not back in the lineup yet, the Pirates are getting something out of his return already.
O’Hearn has joined the club as he works through the final stretch of recovery from the severe quad injury he suffered July 31 against the Cincinnati Reds. Instead of staying in Florida for the rest of his rehab, he’s expected to remain around the Pirates for now and use the Trajekt pitching machine as he keeps building back up as a hitter.
Ben Cherington said on his radio show Sunday that O’Hearn is making encouraging progress and could start a minor-league rehab assignment within the next 10 days. That would keep him on a path toward a possible mid-September return.
Even before he’s cleared to play, O’Hearn’s presence matters. The 33-year-old has settled in quickly as one of the Pirates’ veteran voices since signing a two-year deal last offseason, and that kind of steadying presence is useful for a team trying to stay locked in through the season’s final month.
Before the injury, O’Hearn was hitting .270/.334/.454 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI in 96 games. With a return that may be only weeks away, having him back in the clubhouse is another sign the Pirates are inching toward getting more of their group back together.
The Pirates also added catching depth this week, signing José Herrera to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Herrera was placed on the development list after joining the organization, with Christian Bethancourt’s contract selected to the major league roster. The 29-year-old hasn’t played in the majors this season, but he brings a solid track record of experience behind the plate.
He spent parts of the last four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and appeared in at least 40 games in each of those years. Across 190 career major-league games, Herrera has hit .200 with three home runs and 42 RBI.
He originally signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers during the offseason and played this year at Triple-A Round Rock, where he hit .229 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 40 games. For Indianapolis, he adds another veteran catching option after Bethancourt’s move to Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, Konnor Griffin took another step in his rehab work Tuesday, going 0-for-4 with a walk as his assignment advanced to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Griffin opened the rehab process at Double-A Altoona, where he went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts and played seven innings at shortstop in his first game action since going on the injured list with a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger.
Now the 20-year-old will keep that work going with Indianapolis, where the Pirates can continue checking his timing at the plate and his ability to handle a full defensive workload before bringing him back.
In Other News...
Pirates Catching Depth Move Could Hint At Something Bigger
The Pirates added another name to their catching mix this week, signing Jose Herrera to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Herrera had spent time in the Texas Rangers organization and also played in the Mexican League after his release, but his best-known work has come in the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks. For Pittsburgh, it is the kind of depth move teams make when they want another experienced hand close to the big league picture.
Herrera is expected to help stabilize the catching inventory in the Pirates minor league system, giving the organization some insurance behind the plate. Moves like this do not usually draw much attention on their own, but they can say plenty about how a club wants to protect itself over a long season, especially at a position where bodies can disappear quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Tough Decision On A Forgotten Top Pick
Lonnie White Jr. has pushed his way back onto the Pirates radar in a real way this season, and its not just because he was once viewed as one of the organizations more notable young talents. After years of uneven development, the former top prospect has put together a strong 2025 across Hi-A and Double-A, showing the kind of production that can change how a club views a player in a hurry. His combination of power and speed has stood out, and the overall line has made it hard to keep treating him like a forgotten name in the system.
For Pittsburgh, the question now is less about whether White has re-entered the conversation and more about how to handle the next roster crunch. Adding him to the 40-man roster would be a way to keep him out of Rule 5 Draft risk, even if he is not yet ready for a big-league call-up. It is the sort of decision teams prefer to make before the deadline pressures pile up, and it gives the Pirates a small but meaningful test of how much they still believe in a player whose stock looked far more uncertain not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem At The Worst Time
The Pirates added another layer of uncertainty to a bullpen that has already been asked to do a lot, placing right-handed reliever Kirby Yates on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 31 because of a right shoulder impingement. Pittsburgh moved quickly to cover the opening, recalling rookie right-hander Khristian Curtis from Triple-A Indianapolis before its series finale against the Giants, a sign the club needed fresh arms available right away.
Wilber Dotel also got the call back up as part of the same round of roster shuffling, while Evan Sisk was optioned to Indianapolis. The timing is less than ideal for a Pirates team trying to keep its late-game options intact, and Yates injury leaves the staff waiting to see how deep the bullpen hole becomes before the next stretch of games really settles in. [Read more 🡒]