Spencer

Horwitz

Horwitz opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning with an RBI single off of right-hander Colin Rea. He also singled with two outs in the sixth inning but the Pirates were unable to cash him in. With his two-hit attack, the 27-year-old first baseman is now hitting .227/.299/.330 with one long ball and seven RBI.

He’ll take a seat with left-hander Matthew Boyd getting the ball for the Cubs in this one. The 27-year-old is hitting just .214/.290/.321 with one homer, six RBI and a 24/8 K/BB ratio over 93 plate appearances since his return from the injured list. Jared Triolo will start in his place at first base and bat seventh for the Pirates on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The 27-year-old first baseman will get a rare day off with left-hander Framber Valdez toeing the slab for the Astros. Horwitz is off to a slow start since returning from the injured list, slashing just .230/.299/.328 with one homer, five RBI and a 15/6 K/BB ratio across 67 plate appearances. Jared Triolo will start in his place at first base and will bat eighth for the Pirates on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh.

Horwitz had his third multi-hit game in seven starts since returning from the injured list. He put the Pirates on the board early with a double in the first inning to drive in Bryan Reynolds and later added a second double. The 27-year-old infielder is 7-for-27 with one homer and three RBI through his first week back.

Horwitz jumped on a 3-2 cutter from Aaron Civale in the fourth inning and clobbered a 409-foot (104.8 mph EV) solo shot that pulled the Pirates to within two runs at 4-2. He also reached on an infield single in the fifth inning and drove in a run with a ground out in the ninth. The 27-year-old has looked good since returning from the injured list, slashing .278/.350/.444 with a homer and two RBI in his first 18 at-bats. If he’s still hanging around on the waiver wire in deeper mixed leagues, he’s certainly worth a look despite the poor supporting cast around him.

All three of his balls in play were hard hit. The intentional walk came after a 3-0 count in the eighth. Horwitz entered the night 1-for-7 in three games since coming off the IL on Saturday. He has second base eligibility in fantasy leagues, and it’s easy to imagine him posting a solid OPS while starting against all righties and some lefties. Still, it’s going to be tough for him to amass mixed-league value in a lineup as bad as Pittsburgh’s.

Horwitz went hitless in a pair of at-bats before being lifted for pinch-hitter Alexander Canario in the seventh inning of his season debut. The 27-year-old missed the first seven weeks of the year recovering from right hand surgery. He’ll take over as Pittsburgh’s primary first baseman moving forward.

Horwitz will get a chance to make his season debut after missing the first seven weeks of the season. The 27-year-old should see regular playing time at first base, but doesn’t offer enough fantasy upside to suggest he’s worthy of a roster spot in mixed leagues.

Horwitz will get a chance to make his season debut this weekend against Philadelphia after missing the first 40-plus games of the year following surgery on his right thumb that caused pain in his hand and wrist. The 27-year-old should be the everyday first baseman with Pittsburgh, but he offers limited fantasy appeal.

Horwitz got off to a slow start in his rehab assignment from a broken hamate bone, but he’s 6-for-13 the last three days. He’s expected to be activated this weekend, which will probably lead to the demotion of Matt Gorski or Ji Hwan Bae.