Ryan O’Hearn is back in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-field mix on June 4, and this time the assignment is a start. He is scheduled to make his first start in right field in almost three weeks when the Pirates close their series against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.
The timing matters because O’Hearn’s return to the grass comes only days after he was activated from the injured list on May 31. The 31-year-old had been sidelined by a right quad muscle strain he suffered while playing first base on May 16, then spent a 10-day stay on the injured list before rejoining the active roster. Since coming back, he has split time as a designated hitter and at first base.
That usage reflects how the Pirates have tried to fit him into a roster that changed around him. They had expected O’Hearn to handle first base, designated hitter duty and some corner-outfield work, but a month after signing him they added Marcell Ozuna, who can only play designated hitter. That pushed O’Hearn further toward the outfield, even though his path there has not been the norm in his career. Before joining Pittsburgh this offseason, he had started 77 of 81 games over eight major league seasons.
O’Hearn has been working with Oneil Cruz in center field and Bryan Reynolds in left field as he settles back into right. The Pirates are asking him to keep it simple there: minimize mistakes and handle the routine plays. That sounds modest, but after a quad strain and a brief return through the infield and designated-hitter spots, it is the part of the game that will show whether the move holds up.
For the Pirates, the bigger question is not whether O’Hearn can stand in right field for one game. It is whether his leg responds cleanly enough for the club to keep using him there as the schedule tightens and the roster math around Ozuna leaves fewer easy options.
