Pirates can’t survive Ryan O’Hearn injury setback without these players stepping up

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ worst-case scenario for Ryan O’Hearn is starting to look a little more real.

General manager Ben Cherington said prior to Sunday's series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies that O’Hearn’s right quad strain is “on the moderate side,” but made it clear this is not going to be a minimum stay on the injured list. In other words, the Pirates should not be planning around O’Hearn returning as soon as his 10 days are up.

Cherington even hinted that this could be closer to a four-week absence. That is a brutal development for a Pirates team that was already walking a thin offensive tightrope.

O’Hearn has been one of the few stable, middle-of-the-order presences in a lineup that has spent much of the season searching for consistency. His .289/.368/.459 slash line, seven home runs and 29 RBI were the kind of steady, professional at-bats the Pirates desperately needed when the rest of the offense went quiet.

Now, they have to replace that production for potentially a month. And no, there is no one-for-one replacement sitting around.

That means the Pirates’ survival plan has to be collective. If they are going to avoid letting O’Hearn’s injury derail their season, there are four players in particular who all have to give them more.

4 Pirates players who need to step up in Ryan O'Hearn's absence

Bryan Reynolds

This is exactly the kind of moment when the Pirates need their franchise cornerstone to look like one. Bryan Reynolds does not have to carry the entire offense by himself, but he does have to be more than just another name in the lineup. With O’Hearn out, Pittsburgh needs Reynolds to drive the ball, produce with runners on base and give opposing pitchers a reason to fear the heart of the order.

The Pirates have spent years building around Reynolds as their most dependable offensive player. Dependability matters most when the lineup loses one of its few other dependable bats.

Jake Mangum

Jake Mangum’s role is different, but no less important. He was activated from the injured list as the corresponding move when O’Hearn went down, and the timing could not be more significant. The Pirates need his energy, contact ability and defensive versatility to translate immediately.

With O’Hearn out, Pittsburgh cannot afford empty at-bats from the bottom half of the lineup. Mangum doesn't need to become O'Hearn, but he has a chance to become more than a fun story. He can become a stabilizer.

Spencer Horwitz

If the Pirates are going to be without their left-handed first base/right field bat for weeks, Spencer Horwitz has to seize the opportunity. He was acquired because of his plate discipline and offensive upside, and this is the exact scenario where that skill set needs to show up.

O’Hearn’s absence creates a void in both production and approach. Horwitz is one of the few internal options who can help replace both.

Marcell Ozuna

The Pirates signed Marcell Ozuna to be a legitimate power threat, and this is the point of the season where that decision either starts looking useful or becomes even harder to defend.

Ozuna’s lack of defensive value already limits the roster. If he is not producing at the plate, especially with O’Hearn unavailable, the fit becomes even more glaring.

This is the exact kind of stretch Ozuna was brought in for. The Pirates need thump. They need someone who can change a game with one swing. They need protection for Reynolds and length behind the top of the order. If Ozuna cannot provide that now, when the Pirates are missing one of their best bats, then it is fair to wonder when he ever will.

In fact, that is the most glaring problem with O’Hearn’s injury. It exposes how little margin for error the Pirates had in the first place.

Their offense was already too dependent on a handful of contributors. Their depth was already being tested. Their lineup already had too many spots where “potential” was doing more work than actual production. Losing O’Hearn for a month turns those concerns into immediate problems.

The Pirates can survive this, but not passively. They cannot simply shuffle the lineup, wait for O’Hearn’s quad to heal and hope the pitching staff covers for everything. They need Reynolds to anchor the offense. They need Mangum to bring more than energy. They need Horwitz to turn opportunity into production. They need Ozuna to finally look like the impact bat they signed.

O’Hearn’s injury may not be season-ending, but four weeks is long enough to change the direction of a season. If the Pirates want to stay afloat until he returns, these players do not have the luxury of easing into bigger roles. The opportunity is here. And for a Pirates offense that just lost one of its most reliable bats, the urgency should be obvious.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow