Pirates lose Spencer Horwitz to 10-day IL with hamstring injury

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Pirates lose Spencer Horwitz to 10-day IL with hamstring injury

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Jun 25, 2026 12:58 PM ET

Injuries just continue to pile up in MLB with the Pittsburgh Pirates placing Spencer Horwitz on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury. It's an unfortunate blow for the 28-year-old who has been one of the most underrated bats in MLB this season.

Before landing on the shelf, Horwitz was batting .280 with 10 home runs and an .841 OPS across 295 plate appearances this season. The first baseman has been putting up one of the best performances of his career in the big leagues.

The injury occurred in the fourth inning on Wednesday when he grounded into a double play against the Seattle Mariners. Following the play, Horwitz felt pain in his hamstring and was taken out of the game where Esmerlyn Valdez pinch hit for him and recorded an RBI single.

The Pirates also scored five runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead and continued to pile on offense with a final 11-1 beatdown on the Mariners to reach .500 (40-40).

Spencer Horwitz will be placed on the 10 day IL with a hamstring injury per @KevinGormanPGH. Tough blow for a guy in the midst of his best season as a big leaguer. pic.twitter.com/kO8R3xV2PA
— SleeperPirates (@SleeperPirates) June 25, 2026

How Spencer Horwitz injury impacts the Pirates

Hamstring have sidelined several players this season including Mike Trout and Edward Cabrera.

With Horwitz out, the Pirates have recalled infielder Jack Brannigan from Double-A Altoona. Losing Horwitz significantly impacts the Pirates; across 25 games, he was hitting in the leadoff spot and slashed .276/.388/.468 with five home runs and 17 runs with a dominant .379 OBP in June.

The Pirates will have Jake Mangum, who has compiled a .354 OBP in June, leading off against the Mariners on Thursday. They have also placed Ryan O'Hearn at first base and Valdez in right field.

While this backup plan is serviceable, Horwitz has been a game changer this season for the Pirates and has been one of their strongest hitters alongside Bryan Reynolds. All in all, not having him in the lineup inevitably places an unwanted strain on the team as they are pushing to be contenders this season.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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