Ryan O’Hearn Makes Immediate Impact for Pirates in Return

The Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled without Ryan O’Hearn in their lineup while he was out with a hamstring injury. Not only is the veteran one of the premier power threats in the middle of their lineup, but he’s also an irreplaceable leader in the clubhouse.

The good news is that O’Hearn is finally back with the team after being activated off the injured list on Friday. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact in a game, either.

On Saturday, while the Pirates were down two runs to the Chicago Cubs, O’Hearn stepped to the plate in the top of the sixth inning. After a brief battle, he blasted a home run well over the right-field wall to give Pittsburgh a one-run lead at the time.

Just like that, the offense that had been clearly missing for this Pirates team for nearly a month was back. This home run was also O’Hearn’s 18th of the season, which sets a new career high.

The only problem was that the Pirates weren’t able to hold onto the lead after the bullpen gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

O’Hearn was clearly happy to help make an impact on the team, mostly after coming off the injured list, but admitted it doesn’t feel the same since the Pirates didn’t actually win the game.

“It feels good to contribute, and it's why I'm here, back here, to just drive in runs.
But obviously, ultimately it’s about winning games, especially at this point in the season,” O’Hearn said postgame.

“Everybody knows how important these games are. And, tough to have it, kind of fall apart and unravel there in the eighth.”

Another positive takeaway from this game was that O’Hearn said afterward that his body feels in a good spot right now, coming off the injury.

What O’Hearn did on the field and what he expressed off it is exactly why the Pirates sought to sign a player with his makeup this offseason.

Not only does he have the skill set to be a key contributor for Pittsburgh in the lineup, but he also knows what it takes to get the job done late in the season, and his key focus is simply on winning.