After five days on the bench, Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Marcell Ozuna silenced doubts with a towering home run.
Marcell Ozuna isn’t sure how much playing time he is going to receive, but the veteran slugger vows to make the most of whatever at-bats he receives from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ozuna sat on the bench for five straight games before getting a start on Wednesday night against the Athletics. Being inactive for nearly a week was a shock to the 35-year-old designated hitter’s system.
Nevertheless, the ebullient Ozuna made the best of the situation rather than pouting, going 2-for-5 with a home run to help the Pirates to a 12-4 win at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. Pittsburgh won two games in the three-game series and got its record back over .500 at 38-37 entering Friday night when the Pirates begin a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver.
Ozuna signed with the Pirates as a free agent just before the start of spring training, agreeing to a one-year, $12-million contract. Pittsburgh was hoping maybe Ozuna could regain the form that allowed him to hit 40 home runs in 2023 for the Atlanta Braves and 39 the next season.
However, Ozuna is hitting just .197/.277/.318 with six home runs in 52 games. That was enough to convince the Pirates that he would no longer be an everyday player. A 14-year veteran, Ozuna is a realist and knows he can only keep on going.
"I've always had a strong mind,” Ozuna told reporters after Wednesday night’s game. "I never want to give up. I never want to show a bad example to the guy following me. I have always had to keep grinding, do my best, and show my teammates who I am."
Ozuna showed his teammates that he still has something left to help, even if it is in a limited role.
"They might not use me at all, but I’m ready,” Ozuna said. "When they give me the opportunity, I'll be there. I've been talking to them, and (said), 'If you give me more opportunity, I'll probably get back,' or I sit down on the bench and don't get an at-bat, it's hard to get a feeling, and then hard to get ready. The way that I did (Wednesday), I played the whole game, thank God, and then 2 for 5 is amazing for missing five games."
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