Spencer Horowitz rejoins Pirates on Sunday

Horwitz has started eight games in the leadoff spot and 10 more in the middle of the order this month and has totaled one run scored in 82 plate appearances. He’s batting .147/.220/.160 during the span. It would make sense for the Pirates to him lower. Even when he’s going well, his extreme lack of speed is something of a problem leading off.

Horwitz snapped a scoreless stalemate by ripping a bases-clearing double down the right-field line against Brewers starter Brandon Sproat in the third inning. The 28-year-old first baseman has gone 1-for-8 at the dish in a pair of games since returning from the injured list over the weekend.

Horwitz was working to return from a hamstring injury and seemed close to rejoining the Pirates lineup, but he was hit in the helmet over the weekend and has been diagnosed with a concussion. As of now, there is no timeline for his return from this second injury, but it seems that he won’t be back this week.

Horwitz is working his way back from a hamstring strain that put him on the injured list on June 25. He’ll need a couple additional tune-up contests to get back up to speed before making it back to Pittsburgh. There’s a chance he’s back before the end of July.

Both players have been out for the majority of July, so they will likely need at least a week of rehab games before rejoining the Pirates. That means it might be early August when we see both of them back in MLB games.

Cherington mentioned that both players “are progressing well in Florida, but both will be sidelined until after the All-Star Break.” The team hopes that they will both be back in the lineup “not too long after the break.” Cruz has been out since June 10 with non-displaced fractures in his hand. He was originally expected to miss “at least one month,” which will be in the middle of this week. He could likely begin a rehab assignment in the next couple of weeks and, assuming he can swing without pain, be back in the Pirates lineup soon after. With both Horwitz and Cruz back, the Pirates may have to be creative to find at-bats for surging Esmerlyn Valdez and Tyler Callihan.

Horwitz left Wednesday’s game with hamstring discomfort and now finds himself on the injured list; although, there is no set timeline for his return right now. The 28-year-old is hitting .280/.386/.455 with 10 home runs, 36 runs scored, and 33 RBI in 74 games this season as a key member of the Pirates lineup. Ryan O’Hearn should play a lot of first base with Horwitz sidelined.

Horwitz will undergo further evaluation after exiting the contest in the fourth inning. He finished 0-for-1 with a walk out of the leadoff spot. There should be an update on his status prior to Thursday’s series finale.

Horwitz scored three runs for the first time this season. He’s far from a prototypical leadoff man with his fourth-percentile sprint speed, but he’s hitting .281 with a .389 OBP this season. He’s even getting the job done in limited action against lefties, amassing a .383 OBP in 47 plate appearances.

Horwitz’s homer notably came off left-hander Jack Dreyer, a two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth that gave Pittsburgh a couple of insurance runs they ended up needing. The lefty-swinging first baseman doesn’t start against every southpaw, but he isn’t a strict platoon hitter and bats leadoff against righties.