Horwitz went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored Friday against the Rockies.
Horwitz smacked an RBI double in the second inning and followed that up with his fifth home run of the season four frames later. He hasn't hit for much power this season, as he has a .132 ISO across 303 plate appearances, but Horwitz now has four extra-base hits across his last five starts. Horwitz is putting together a respectable second half, as he's hitting .300 with four homers, 20 RBI and 17 runs scored across 31 games since the All-Star break.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Delivers RBI double
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Horwitz went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI on Sunday against the Cubs.
Horwitz snapped a brief three-game hitless streak with an RBI double in the third inning to tie the game at 1-1. He has had an inconsistent season as the Pirates' primary first baseman, but he has hit .295 with three home runs, 18 RBI and 13 runs scored across 27 games since the All-Star break.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Idle against southpaw
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Horwitz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers.
Horwitz batted leadoff in each of the last four games and got on base at a .389 clip while scoring two runs and driving in two more, but the Pirates haven't yet committed to using him regularly against left-handed pitching. With southpaw Jose Quintana on the hill for Milwaukee, the left-handed-hitting Horwitz will give way to the right-handed-hitting Liover Peguero at first base.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Heating up in August
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Horwitz went 2-for-5 with a double, one run scored and one RBI on Sunday against the Reds.
Horwitz has had an inconsistent season as Pittsburgh's primary first baseman, but he's delivered throughout the early portions of August. He has gone 12-for-35 with two homers, nine RBI and eight runs scored across 10 starts in the month. Horwitz is now hitting .266 for the season, though he's provided very little pop with only a .124 ISO.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Resting against southpaw
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Horwitz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants.
After starting in Pittsburgh's last three games, the left-handed-hitting Horwitz will head to the bench for the series finale while the Giants send southpaw Robbie Ray to the hill. Liover Peguero will spell Horwitz at first base and atop the batting order Wednesday.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Homers twice, drives in six
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Horwitz went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, six RBI and an additional run scored in Sunday's 9-5 win over the Rockies.
The leadoff man erupted at the plate Sunday, launching a two-run homer in the second inning and following it up with a three-run shot in the sixth. This was the first-baseman's his third career multi-homer game, and he registered a new career best with six RBI. Horwitz has been red-hot since the All-Star break, batting .346 (18-for-52) with 15 RBI and nine runs scored over 15 games. The 27-year-old is seeing the ball well and continues to deliver impact production atop the Pirates lineup.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Scores twice in loss
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Horwitz went 1-for-5 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored Friday against the Rockies.
Horwitz reached base twice in the first inning, leading off the game with a single and then walking in his second plate appearance while coming around to score on both occasions. He's swung the bat well since the All-Star break, going 15-for-47 with one home run, nine RBI and six runs scored across 13 games. Horwitz looks likely to remain Pittsburgh's leadoff hitter against righties while sitting against most lefties.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Slugs grand slam
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Horwitz went 1-for-4 with a grand slam Wednesday against the Tigers.
Horwitz has struggled for most of July, but he is turning things around since the All-Star break. He has hits in each of his last four games, including a pair of doubles and a home run. Horwitz also looks to be the Pirates' primary leadoff hitter, at least against right-handed pitching, after briefly ceding the role to Tommy Pham.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Shines again in leadoff spot
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Horwitz went 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 8-5 win over the Tigers.
The 27-year-old first baseman has been getting regular turns as the Pirates' leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching in July, and Horwitz has begun to take advantage of the opportunity. He's racked up seven hits across the last three games, an impressive turnaround after he'd gone 2-for-25 in his prior eight contests. On the season, Horwitz is slashing .249/.318/.348 with two homers, 19 RBI and 22 runs in 201 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Resting against lefty
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Horwitz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Royals.
After starting in each of the last eight games, the left-handed-hitting Horwitz will be given the night off while the Royals send southpaw Noah Cameron to the hill for the series opener. Jared Triolo will replace Horwitz at first base and will bat eighth.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Slugs first leadoff homer
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Horwitz went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a two-RBI double in Monday's 7-0 victory over the Cardinals.
The Pittsburgh first baseman launched his first career leadoff homer when he took St. Louis starter Erick Fedde deep on the second pitch. Horwitz then returned in the third to lace a two-RBI double off Fedde to notch his second two-bagger of the season. The former Blue Jay has settled into a strong-side platoon role and is now slashing .258/.324/.383 with two homers, 17 runs scored and 14 RBI across 142 plate appearances in 36 games.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Sparks offense in win
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Horwitz went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Rangers.
Horwitz was a thorn in the Rangers' side all game, highlighted by a two-run double during the Pirates' five-run fifth inning. Over his past 10 games, the 27-year-old has hit safely eight times, collecting four doubles, three RBI and seven runs scored. He's slashing .245/.316/.349 with one home run, nine RBI and 14 runs scored across 117 plate appearances while primarily starting against right-handed pitching.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Idle against lefty
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Horwitz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Horwitz will take a seat for the third time in four games while the Pirates go up against another southpaw in Cristopher Sanchez. Jared Triolo will get the nod at first base and should continue to fill the short side of a platoon with Horwitz.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: First homer as Pirate
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Horwitz went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI on Thursday against the Brewers.
He led off the fourth inning with a solo shot off Aaron Civale, Horwitz's first extra-base hit as a Pirate. He has gone 5-for-18 with only three strikeouts through six games since returning from a wrist injury and seems set in a strong-side platoon role at first base.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Exiting starting nine Monday
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Horwitz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.
The left-handed-hitting Horwitz could end up settling into a full-time role with the Pirates eventually, but he'll take a seat for the series opener versus the Reds while lefty Nick Lodolo takes the hill for Cincinnati. After being reinstated from the injured list Saturday after he had been on the shelf all season while recovering from a procedure to alleviate pain in his right wrist, Horwitz started at first base in the final two games of the Pirates' weekend series with the Phillies, going 1-for-6.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Back from injured list
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The Pirates reinstated Horwitz (wrist) from the injured list Saturday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Horwitz has been on the injured list all season while working his way back from a thumb procedure he underwent in February to relieve some pain in his right wrist. He's been playing in rehab games since late April and has slashed .255/.294/.383 with two RBI and seven runs scored across 51 plate appearances. Now fully healthy, he's expected to take over as Pittsburgh's primary first baseman. Matt Gorski was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Set to return from IL this weekend
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The Pirates will activate Horwitz (wrist) from the 10-day injured list during their weekend series in Philadelphia, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
He will not be activated Friday, perhaps because the Phillies are starting left-hander Ranger Suarez. Instead, Horwitz will return from the IL later this weekend. Horwitz has been working his way back from February surgery to repair an extensor tendon in his right thumb that was causing pain in his wrist. The 27-year-old posted just a .677 OPS in 13 rehab games, but he was heating up at Triple-A Indianapolis, going 6-for-13 with one home run over his last three contests. Horwitz is set to serve as the Pirates' primary first baseman.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Still finding groove
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Horwitz (wrist) has gone 4-for-28 with five strikeouts on his rehab assignment split between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis.
Horwitz has been on assignment since April 27 and has needed extensive ramp-up time after missing all of spring training. He still hasn't found a rhythm at the plate, though he has struck out at a reasonable 16.7 percent clip. The Pirates need offensive help, but they may opt to let Horwitz start to hit better before activating him.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Taking BP
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Horwitz (wrist) has progressed to taking batting practice, throwing and fielding ground balls, MLB.com reports.
Horwitz has been swinging since early March, though his progression to batting practice is significant. He's still a few weeks away from a rehab assignment, which is projected to begin in late April or early May.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Ready for tee work
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Horwitz (wrist) was cleared to begin hitting off a tee Sunday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The 27-year-old is about a month removed from undergoing surgery on his right wrist and continues ramping up his hitting program. Horwitz was given an initial recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks and appears likely to be sidelined for Opening Day, but he may not miss much of the regular season.
