Infielder Spencer Horwitz was one of the key offseason pickups of the Pirates but they haven’t gotten anything out of him yet. He underwent wrist surgery in February, a procedure which came with a return timeline of six to eight weeks.
Tomorrow, it will be nine weeks since that timeline was provided and Horwitz is still on the injured list. He also hasn’t started a rehab assignment. There is at least some positive momentum, however, as Horwitz took batting practice at PNC Park today with his teammates. Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relayed some video of Horwitz taking his hacks.
That’s somewhat encouraging but Horwitz is probably still not close to joining the big league club. He missed all of spring training and will surely need a few weeks of game action once he does start a rehab assignment. He has a .264/.355/.428 career batting line, which would be a tremendous boost to the Pittsburgh lineup. The team is hitting .184/.273/.290 as a whole so far this year, leading to a league-worst 61 wRC+.
Horwitz was supposed to be the club’s regular first baseman but most of the playing time at that spot has gone to catcher Endy Rodríguez, who is hitting .178/.260/.244. Whenever Horwitz can come off the IL, that should allow Rodriguez to move his focus back to catching, where his defense is considered strong.
Some more notes from around the division…
- Sticking with the Pirates, infielder Jared Triolo is going to start a rehab assignment, per Gorman. He was serving a utility role until he landed on the IL with a lower back injury last week. Once he’s healthy, he can resume bouncing around to multiple positions, though he may not help much on offense. He has hit just .236/.319/.333 in his big league career, which includes a rough .059/.111/.059 showing in six games to start the 2025 season. Tsung-Che Cheng was brought up when Triolo hit the IL but he still hasn’t reached based in his first seven plate appearances. Enmanuel Valdéz is also doing some utility work but is hitting .148/.207/.296 on the season.
- Turning to the Reds, they put left-hander Sam Moll on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement today, even though they’re not playing. The move was backdated by three days, the maximum allowed, to April 11. That perhaps suggests they don’t expect a lengthy absence, as they are making the move today so that he can return one day earlier than if they had waited until tomorrow. No corresponding move was announced but Mark Sheldon of MLB.com suggests it will likely be right-hander Alexis Díaz being reinstated from the IL. Díaz started the season on the IL with a left hamstring strain. He recently started a rehab assignment and already has five minor league appearances in the books. Díaz has served as the Reds’ closer for much of the past three years but his strikeout rate has been declining, from 32.5% in 2022 to 30.1% in 2023 and just 22.7% last year. Emilio Pagán has four saves so far this year and could be bumped into a setup role if Díaz is given the closing duties again.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Pirates have bigger issues than Spencer Horwitz.
You clearly are discounting the Cutch inspired necklaces.
10 runs and counting in their opening act.
And with that, they still haven’t managed to climb out of the bottom five in nearly every offensive category—stolen bases being the only exception.
his comment was posted long before last night’s game
Diaz should not bump pagan to setup unless he proves he’s got what it takes again.
Agreed.
Diaz was getting shaky before his injury. He has to prove he’s healthy AND get hitters out before he sees the ninth inning if I had any say. Ninth inning blown saves are devastating.
yes, the Bucs have bigger problems than Horowitz but adding a bat with major league experience is only a positive thing for them
Their combined first basemen have yet to hit a homer and that position is historically a power hitting position
TheMan3
Just saw where E. Rodriguez left the game with an injury. Bart hurt also so Davis only healthy catcher. Oh well we always have Jason Delay?, nope Cherington sold him to the Braves. Maybe we can buy him back?
Grandal sighed with the Red Sox so he isn’t available either.
I am sure Ben will pull off a trade for another catcher while giving away the farm
I try to remember this was the guy who was floating Keller and Jones as available this off season. And with that, I wonder what the overall idea is…to become a version of the Marlins?
What a disaster Cherington with his trades have been. He traded away a decent starter for this guy. Talent is so thin that with injuries they are bringing up players with little AAA experience. They couldn’t sign a few AAAA minor leaguers in the off season to cover injuries?
Signing some depth pitchers would have required extra spending and wouldn’t you know it, Bob Nutting misplaced his checkbook again. That darn thing always seems to going missing whenever he gets a call from Cherington.
Also, maybe wait until “this guy” actually plays some games for you before you complain too much about the trade.
If his wrist is healthy it’s a good trade. Traded surplus for a need.
it was initially. reported that Horowitz would miss 6~8 weeks.
This is week #9 and he’s not close to returning
You have to have atleast 5 batters in lineup hitting above 260 to compete ! 2 of those need to hit 300!We don’t have it, that’s old pirate days! They always developed hitters!That’s why we have struggled since79! Fact!!
Most of these guys are struggling with the Mendoza Line. It’s the John Russell era, revisited
But hey, MLBTR calls Horwitz a “key piece”
What a joke
Tbf, any batter who hit for a .790 OPS and 124 OPS+ in nearly 100 games in their rookie year would be a key piece for any team, but I get the frustration.
It’s sad when Horowitz is looked as the savior, but he is. Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if one prospect actually hit when they were called up.
I’m really looking forward to Horwitz return. He’ll be a big boost in the line-up. I don’t think the offense is as bad as it has been, and the underlying numbers suggest that too, but having Horwitz who had nearly a .800 OPS and was one of the best rookie hitters last year would really help.
really have high hopes for Horwitz. even a bit below average bat is an upgrade.
Pirates are in a world of hurt offensively. Worst wRC+ in the league at 61. Their starters are actually performing better than their ERA shows with a 3.63 SIERA vs. a 5.06 ERA, so they’re getting unlucky. Their relef pitchers are overperforming though with a 3.96 SIERA vs. a 3.45 ERA.
Horwitz is a line-drive contact hitter which will play great in that park.
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The 3-team trade was one of the best I’ve seen in years. Each team got something they needed and gave up what they were deep in.
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The Pirates problem is not statistics. The Pirates problem is that very few players on that team know how to play major league baseball…..or care to learn. Were I the GM or owner, I’d trade Oneil Cruz for anything I could get for him…..and there is a good chance that no one would be interested as he may be the biggest head case in MLB over the past 15 years. If so, I’d actually release him. Word is out that now he’s “unhappy” about playing CF as he still considerers himself a major league SS. He’s not a major league SS, doesn’t remotely understand how to play the position. This guy with his special demands of management – in which he’s shown no respect for the Pirates organization or for the baseball profession as he feels he’s bigger than both – has rubbed off on all the Pirates players which has undermined the manager and GM. All of which falls on a owner that seems to feel that having a “gate attraction” is more of a priority than putting a group of players on the field that can play the game properly. And if stats are your bible, the kid has a line of .217 / .356 / .391 /.747 with a bWAR of -0.4……and is last in MLB in the Runs Saved statistic….yet thinks he’s a superstar.
Am sorry for Pirates fans, particularly those that are older and saw quality teams play baseball in the past. Great fans that deserve far better. This is hands down the WORST organization in MLB, and in contention as for the worst in all of professional team sports in America.
The Horwitz deal can’t be called great until he shows something. I expect he’ll show nothing. No one ever does here. And they traded a good number 4 or 5 in Ortiz and now have Heaney and Mlodzinski filling that role. Oy
You’re only saying things many of us have seen from Cruz at the outset. The same can be said about Hayes. Two me-first types. In Cruz’s case, it’s clear he’s put in zero work. You call it head case, I call it attitude problem. And now it’s a team full of attitude problems with no repercussions.
Who in the world pays to see this train wreck other than when Skenes pitches?
As a Reds fan I can appreciate what Pirate fans are going through. From the outside looking in the problem seems to be drafting the wrong people and then not properly developing players. It all starts and ends with the owner.
It’s a combination of factors but yes the owner is part of the problem
So is player development, a worthless manager and an equally useless General Manager
Place blame on Cruz for his attitude to your hearts desire
If they had a manager who instilled discipline instead of trying to be their friend and letting these players become head cases, perhaps they would realize the definition of being a team player
Leyland wouldn’t have ever put up with these kinds of attitude problem players
I liked Leyland. He got a great deal of airplay in that dust-up with Bonds. I have no doubt what you’re saying is true
I also remember that he didn’t want any part of the rebuild after the Bonds/Bonilla/Drabek/Van Slyke era and bolted for Miami
Guess my point is that I wonder what he’d do with a roster so devoid of talent like what’s here now
I agree, the inmates are running the asylum. I’ve never seen a franchise so ok with losing like this one. But a guy like Leyland would need to be afforded the opportunity to burn it all down and start over, with his vision as the guide.
Yeah, the rebuild is over. They need to rebuild it all over again
It’s probably not a good idea to give Shelton any power with another rebuild
Or Cherington for that matter
When I said “burn it all down” it means getting rid of virtually everyone associated with this disaster and starting over. Let’s face it, Nutting is not going to sell. But after watching all of this, maybe someone close to him should whisper in his ear to tell him none of this is working
I suspect a Leyland-type would make a great GM. Or manager. And I suspect that whomever that is would do things a lot differently
President Travis Williams needs to go too.
He had a hockey background before being named President of Baseball Operations
Last night’s game was the 12th different lineup so far this season
If Shelton had any common sense he’d use the exact same lineup in tonight’s game and continue to use it until they stop producing runs.
I don’t hold out any hope that he will do the right thing but it would be nice if he did
He will probably want to rest a player or two or three.
and use players like Chang against pitchers who throw 100 mph because striking out is what the stand ins are made for
Yes the 12th different lineup and the 12th hat he pulled the names out of.
As the young season turns out to be the start of a disaster, I’m wondering how long this fiasco will continue.
There were heard grumblings by Nutting that he wasn’t happy. Well nutterbutter, it’s all you’re own fault. You are the owner, the teams bank. Yet you don’t want to make any free agent deposits. You think the fans will come to the best ball park in the majors, to see bobbleheads or free fireworks. We want at least a competive team. We want a fiery manager who isn’t a MORON. We want a GM who has the freedom to sign quality free agents. We need for you to either open the bank or sell the team. We know the only way you lose control of the deam, is when you are gone. Rumors have it that you’re children don’t want the pirates.
And to the analytics nuts…there is maybe some hope for you people yet! MAYBE
make it 13 different lineups.
Cutch is resting in favor of Jack.
The fact that he’s in the lineup and so is Pham makes me wonder if Shelton really wants to win
I also read that Cherington is looking for a catcher
Time for a dumpster dive
Apparently even fireworks night can’t draw a sellout crowd
It’s time to send Jack to Indy. All he does is strike out. How many chances does he get?
Davis hits better than Jack and that’s not saying much
By the way, Ortiz has 6 strikeouts in only 3 innings pitched. What a great trade, especially for that first baseman who hasn’t yet been activated from the IL
Jack Suwinski struck out 4 times in last night’s game, twice with runners in scoring position and once with the bases loaded
and in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners on first and second base with 2 outs
So having already struck out 3 times, why did Shelton not pinch hit for Jack,, especially with the game on the line?
Cosmos is right, Shelton is too stupid to be dumb. And George was right, we get beat by the pitcher we traded away for, and for a first baseman who hasn’t played a game yet for this team
I don’t know who’s worse, Shelton or Cherington or maybe they are equally failures