Pirates Injury Update: Ryan O'Hearn timeline revealed, Rafael Flores Jr. activated

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup took a significant hit Saturday, as the club placed first baseman Ryan O’Hearn on the 10-day injured list with a left quad strain.

O’Hearn suffered the injury while running to first base during the ninth inning of Friday’s 8-7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He pulled up before reaching the bag and had to be helped off the field without putting much weight on his injured leg.

The initial diagnosis calls for O’Hearn to miss approximately six to eight weeks, putting a potential return sometime in mid-to-late September. That timeline leaves open the possibility of O’Hearn contributing during the final weeks of the regular season, although his return could ultimately depend on where the Pirates stand in the postseason race.

Should Pittsburgh fall out of contention before O’Hearn is fully recovered, the club may have little incentive to rush him back for only a handful of games.

In the meantime, Jacob Gonzalez should receive additional opportunities at first base. The Pirates also activated catcher and first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. from the seven-day concussion injured list to replace O’Hearn on the active roster. He will start at first base Saturday in Cincinnati.

Flores is 4-for-15 with a double, a home run and two RBIs across eight major-league games this season, producing a .267 batting average and a .954 OPS. His ability to contribute behind the plate and at first base gives manager Don Kelly some additional flexibility while O’Hearn is unavailable.

Pirates swap bullpen arms as Evan Sisk seemingly nears return

The Pirates made two other roster moves Saturday, recalling right-handed reliever Isaac Mattson from Triple-A Indianapolis and optioning rookie right-hander Antwone Kelly. Mattson returns to a Pittsburgh bullpen in which he has recorded a 4.93 ERA across 36 appearances this season.

The bullpen could soon receive a more meaningful reinforcement in left-hander Evan Sisk, who began a rehab assignment with Indianapolis on Thursday. Sisk struck out two batters during a clean, 10-pitch inning in his first game action since landing on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his throwing elbow.

The Pirates have not yet determined how many rehab appearances Sisk will need before returning. Sisk has been one of the most dependable pieces of Pittsburgh’s inconsistent relief corps this season. The southpaw owns a 2.23 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate over 36 1/3 innings and 32 appearances.

His eventual return would provide a much-needed boost. O’Hearn’s lengthy absence, however, creates another major obstacle for a Pirates team whose margin for error in the postseason race is already shrinking.

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