Pirates GM Reveals Why Spencer Horwitz Needed Surgery
The Pittsburgh Pirates' spring is already off to a rough start.
The Pirates announced that they'd be without left-handed hitting first baseman Spencer Horwitz for six to eight weeks after he had surgery on his right wrist last week. Pittsburgh acquired Horwitz earlier this offseason from the Cleveland Guardians for right-handed starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and left-handed pitching prospects Michael Kennedy and Joshua Hartle.
"Spencer Horwitz had a procedure to his right wrist last week to address chronic symptoms," the Pirates wrote on X. The procedure was performed by Dr. Thomas Graham. We anticipate a full recovery in approximately six-to-eight weeks."
1B Spencer Horwitz had a procedure to his right wrist last week to address chronic symptoms. The procedure was performed by Dr. Thomas Graham.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 12, 2025
We anticipate a full recovery in approximately six-to-eight weeks.
While the Pirates described the injury as chronic, general manager Ben Cherington said it was a new injury that surfaced in January after consulting with Dr. Thomas Graham, who knew Horwitz from his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. With the new injury, Cherington said Dr. Graham recommended that Horwitz undergo surgery. Cherington also noted that Horwitz has had other symptoms with his right wrist that the team was aware of before trading for the left-handed-hitting first baseman.
"Shortly after PiratesFest, as he got into his offseason hitting progression, he experienced some new symptoms, and so after some back and forth and a period of rest, we decided to have him checked out again by Dr. Graham," Cherington said. "With a new MRI, Dr. Graham, who had also seen him when he was in Toronto, identified the new injury to the tendon in his right wrist and recommended the procedure that happened a couple weeks ago...It's frustrating and a setback."
Ben Cherington said the Pirates knew Spencer Horwitz had “symptoms” of wrist issues at the time he was acquired via trade, but the team still felt comfortable enough to make the move. He added that the issues that led to Horwitz’s surgery surfaced after PiratesFest. pic.twitter.com/LVmFpACIHL
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) February 12, 2025
Horwitz, 27, was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2019 and didn't make his big league debut until 2023. He was part of the trade for Toronto that landed them All-Star second baseman Andrés Giménez.
Horwitz played 97 games for the Blue Jays in 2024 and batted .265/.357/.433 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. He began the season in Triple-A Buffalo and batted 335/.456/.514 with 4 home runs and 38 RBIs before getting called up and making his 2024 debut in the big leagues on June 8.
