Ryan O’Hearn says he does not possess super healing powers.

However, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ right fielder recovered from his right quadriceps strain faster than could be reasonably expected, as he spent just two weeks on the injured list before being activated on Sunday. Players are usually sidelined for about a month with that type of injury.

Advertisement

“All I can say is the training staff did a great job,” O’Hearn said. “We were super intentional with the plan. I just kind of followed the staff’s instructions. The leg started feeling pretty good. Then it seemed like every test that they had for me, I didn’t feel it. I was like, ‘Alright, let’s keep pushing it.’ Glad it didn’t take me any longer.”

So were the Pirates.

O’Hearn made an immediate impact by hitting a home run in his first at-bat and went 2 for 4 to help spark a 9-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins to sweep a three-game series at PNC Park. After Monday’s day off, Pittsburgh opens a three-game series against the Astros at Daikin Park in Houston.

“It was awesome,” O’Hearn said. “You want to make an impact when you come back. I didn’t do a rehab assignment or anything, so I hadn’t seen live pitching. But I was confident in my abilities. Been feeling good in the cage. It was cool to have it translate the first at-bat like that.”

Advertisement

O’Hearn had never been on the IL for an actual injury in his nine-year career, though he sat out after contracting COVID in 2020 during the pandemic-shortened season. Thus, it tested O’Hearn’s patience to watch games from the dugout while his leg healed.

“It’s hard. You want to be out there,” O’Hearn said. “The competitor in you has you champing at the bit in the dugout. It’s also cool to step back and cheer on the guys and appreciate how good a team we have.”

The Pirates seem to have their best team since 2017, the last season they finished with a winning record. Pittsburgh is 32-28 and averages 5.02 runs scored per game, which is fifth in the major leagues.

Having O’Hearn back should make the Pirates’ lineup even stronger. He is hitting .294/.391/.479 with eight homers in 45 games after being signed to a two-year, $29-million contract in January as a free agent.

Advertisement

“He’s a professional hitter,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said.

Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk about all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.