Pirates Explain Recent Marcell Ozuna Absence

PITTSBURGH — Marcell Ozuna isn’t a constatnt in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup anymore, but a setback kept him out from recent games.

The Pirates will have Ozuna in their lineup against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 8, where he will bat seventh, marking just his second game played in July and first since July 2, a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said prior to the game that Ozuna had a toe injury, that kept him out of the series vs. the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, July 3-5, but that he is good to go now.

“He’s a potent bat off the bench when he’s not in the lineup and when he’s DH’ing, we believe he’s going to give production,” Cherington said. “He didn’t play recently because he banged up his toe. There were some days he was unavailable there in D.C., so that was part of it. He’s available now.”

Why Ozuna isn’t Starting as Much for Pirates

The Pirates signed Ozuna for $12 million this season and expected him to provide a big right-handed power bat in a lineup that needed it after a terrible 2025 campaign.

Ozuna has struggled throughout 2026, slashing .202/.286/.324 for an OPS of .610 in 58 games, with 43 hits in 213 at-bats, five doubles, seven home runs, 26 RBI and 23 walks to 73 strikeouts.

He has also lost his spot in the starting lineup, playing just 12 games since May 28, out of a potential 36 games, just one-third of those contests.

The Pirates have spread out their designated hitter role to different players, giving them a chance to rest and not have to always play in the field, maximizing their effort at the plate when possible.

Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn have started most of the games at designated hitter, eight contests and seven contests, respectively, while Brandon Lowe has done so four times, Konnor Griffin did it three times and Spencer Horwitz did so twice.

Ozuna has hit better in the games he’s been a part of since this, slashing .268/.348/.415 for an OPS of .762, so it is an encouraging sign he can turn things around.

Cherington noted that they still have faith in Ozuna and what he can bring the team, but that the needs of the better hitters in the lineup getting rest is more important at this time.

He also praised Ozuna for his clubhouse leadership and that they see him playing a role in helping the Pirates win games going forward.

“The way our team is constructed right now, and he understands this, there’s days Donnie’s going to use someone else as DH. I think if we have a different roster where using DH days for other guys wasn’t as important, he’s probably playing more. That’s not how we’re setup right now.

“We’re going to take it a day at a time and see how it goes. We still believe there’s a potent bat in there. There’s still a lot of season left and still believe he can have a stretch where he’s helping us win a ton of games. I still believe in him, for sure. But we’re managing it day-to-day.

“Everything I know, anyway, everything I see is that while of course he would like to be playing more, everybody knows that, he’s continued to bring a positive attitude to this clubhouse and to the cage everyday. For a guy with his experience, we really respect that.”

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