The Pittsburgh Pirates brought back veteran first baseman and outfielder Ryan O’Hearn from the 10-day injured list Friday.
The Pirates activated O’Hearn and optioned outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis before falling 12-2 to the host Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series.
O’Hearn did not start the game but entered as a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh before taking over at first base in the bottom half. O’Hearn finished 0-for-2.
The 33-year-old suffered a strained left quad July 31 while running to first base. He played two games at Triple-A earlier this week as part of a rehab assignment.
“I think if you would have told me on July 31 I was going to get a chance to come back and play in the middle of September and play meaningful baseball, I would have definitely taken that deal. So I am very happy,” O’Hearn said before the game.
The Pirates are 74-74 after losing Friday and are still in the thick of the National League wild-card race with 14 games to go.
O’Hearn is batting .269 through 97 games this year, with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs. He is a career .254 hitter with 101 homers and 382 RBIs in nine MLB seasons with the Kansas City Royals (2018-22), Baltimore Orioles (2023-25), San Diego Padres (2025) and Pirates.
Simon, 26, has appeared in 10 games for the Pirates in his second season of MLB action. He batted .281 with two RBIs and two steals.
