​CINCINNATI, OHIO – JULY 31: Ryan O’Hearn #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is helped off of the field after sustaining an injury during the ninth inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 8-7. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Pittsburgh Pirates were dealt a hard blow when one of their cornerstone players left the field on Friday night with an injury.Ryan O’Hearn was placed on the IL on Saturday after suffering a left quad injury while running to first base in the Pirates’ loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. O’Hearn was unable to leave the field under his own power, and was assisted off by manager Don Kelly and one of the team’s trainers, before being seen using a crutch to walk in the clubhouse post game.This left quad strain is the second injury of this variety that O’Hearn has experienced this year. The 33-year-old first baseman/outfielder had a right quad strain earlier this season that saw him spend a stint on the IL for that injury as well.Although clearly frustrated, O’Hearn was encouraged by the results of the exam on his left quad.“No surgery or anything like that, and a chance to return for playoffs at the end of the year,” O’Hearn said. “That is what I am holding on to.”Just when you thought tonight couldn’t get any worse.Ryan O’Hearn injures his quad running to 1st in the 9th and had to be helped off the field.Pain. pic.twitter.com/pFAPzCg8gR— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) August 1, 2026The Pirates reported that O’Hearn will be out of commission for 6-8 weeks. This timeline leaves some hope that he could return with some time left in the regular season and with a chance to make a push towards the playoffs. O’Hearn was able to return from injury ahead of schedule when he injured his right quad and hopes to do the same this time around.“​Honestly, it’s frustrating. I don’t know what is wrong with my quads. I have got to figure it out this winter. I have never had issues like this,” O’Hearn said. “I have to figure out what I have to do to make that better moving forward. So I just will do whatever they tell me to do in the training room and try to be around the guys as much as possible.”The Pirates have had an unfortunate string of injuries affect them this season, and losing one of their best players in O’Hearn at a critical part in the year is going to be hard to deal with. There are several players who can fill his role at first base, but very few of those players have had the kind of consistency at the plate that O’Hearn has. Before his injury O’Hearn was slashing .270/.334/.454 and had 17 homers. Luckily Spencer Horwitz is back with the Pirates after spending his own stint on the injured list for a hamstring injury and a concussion. Prior to his injury Horwitz was one of the hottest hitters on the Pirates, and he should be a welcomed addition back in their li