Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that he's hopeful that O'Hearn (quadriceps) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment "early-ish" during the upcoming week, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
On the shelf since Aug. 1 due to a left quad strain, O'Hearn resumed taking part in light baseball activities just over two weeks after sustaining the injury and recently moved his rehab program to Pittsburgh. O'Hearn appears to have steered clear of any setbacks while ramping up and is now ready to move on to the final phase of his recovery by getting in some competitive at-bats in minor-league games. The 31-year-old is believed to be targeting a return from the injured list during next weekend's series in Chicago versus the Cubs, but the Pirates will wait and see how he fares on his rehab assignment before deciding when he'll be activated.