Ryan

O'Hearn

O’Hearn started in right field today. He figured to be the Pirates’ first baseman and DH when he signed six weeks ago, but with Marcell Ozuna joining the club and Spencer Horwitz mostly limited to first base, it now seems like the bulk of O’Hearn’s playing time will come in the outfield. That’s not really ideal from a defensive standpoint, but it’ll work out if Ozuna bounces back.

He can earn up to $500,000 extra based on plate appearances each season, with the full amount kicking in at 525. Typically a platoon player, O’Hearn will probably get a chance to be an everyday player in Pittsburgh, since the team already has several other candidates to sit against lefties. He could eke out a little mixed-league value, but it’s just not a great situation with the mediocre lineup around him and tough offensive ballpark.

The deal includes $500K in performance bonuses in each season. It’s another solid move for the Pirates, who also acquired Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum just last week. The 32-year-old O’Hearn rejuvenated his career in Baltimore over the last three years and hit .281/.366/.427 in 144 games for the Orioles and Padres last year while clubbing 17 home runs. He does struggle against lefties, so the Pirates will likely need to platoon him with somebody like Jhostynxon Garcia or Nick Yorke, but O’Hearn should be the regular starter against right-handed pitching and hit in the middle of what is becoming a deeper lineup in Pittsburgh.

O’Hearn put the Padres on top early with a grand slam off Bruce Zimmermann in the first inning. He later added a base hit in the third. The 32-year-old slugger has had a solid season, slashing .276/.362/.435 with 17 homers, 63 runs scored, and 62 RBI across 528 plate appearances.

O’Hearn delivered the game’s biggest blow with a bases-clearing three-run double in the sixth inning that gave the Padres a 5-2 lead. He also singled with two outs in the second inning. Since joining the Padres in a deadline deal from the Orioles, the 32-year-old slugger is hitting .241/.318/.343 with three homers and 15 RBI in 154 plate appearances.

Arraez is on the bench with Ryan O’Hearn taking over at the cold corner and Jake Cronenworth at the keystone following a scary incident prior to the ninth inning of Saturday’s game when he was struck in the side of the face by an errant warmup throw. It’s a significant concern because he missed time back in April with a concussion. The 28-year-old contact-oriented infielder will undergo further evaluation this weekend, but there’s optimism he’ll be fine since he didn’t lose consciousness during the incident. There should be some clarity on his status prior to Tuesday’s pivotal game against the Mets.

O’Hearn gets the nod at the cold corner to face Reds right-hander Zack Littell — who he has plenty of history against from their time in the AL East together over the last few years before being shipped to the senior circuit — over a slumping Luis Arraez, who is batting .242/.277/.333 with one homer and 12 RBI over his last 30 games.

Arraez will get a rare night off with left-hander Kyle Freeland toeing the slab for the Rockies in this one. Ryan O’Hearn will start in his place at first base and bat second for the Padres while Gavin Sheets functions as the team’s designated hitter.

Merrill is back from a two-week absence due to a sprained ankle. It’ll be interesting to see what the Padres do with Gavin Sheets now, considering that he was barely playing before Merrill got hurt but has been the team’s best hitter since returning to the lineup. There’s a good argument to be made for taking Luis Arraez out of the lineup to keep Sheets in there, though it’d be a surprise if the Padres went that route. Instead, Ryan O’Hearn might lose some at-bats. The Padres aren’t shedding any light on the subject today, as Merrill isn’t in the starting lineup against the Orioles.

Merrill has been dropped from the cleanup spot with veterans Ryan O’Hearn and Xander Bogaerts moving up in the order amid a .192 (5-for-26) stretch that includes just one homer and six RBI over his last seven games. The 22-year-old fantasy standout is hitting just .238 (19-for-80) with one homer in 20 games since last month’s All-Star break.