Spencer Horwitz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that first baseman Spencer Horwitz (wrist) had his sutures removed from his surgically-repaired wrist earlier this week and has started left-handed swinging with one hand only, fielding ground balls and doing conditioning work. Horwitz is still on track to return in six to eight weeks. The 27-year-old will most likely open the 2025 regular season on the injured list, which will open the door for Jared Triolo and Billy Cook to see most of the action at the cold corner early on. Whenever Horwitz is able to return, he's expected to see most of the playing time at first for Pittsburgh in his first year with the Bucs. The left-handed hitter was a bright spot for Toronto in 2024 in 97 games, slashing .265/.357/.433 with 12 home runs, 40 RBI and 46 runs scored.

According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz (wrist) is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Hiles noted that Horwitz underwent a procedure on his right wrist last week to address "chronic symptoms" and is expected to make a full recovery. As a result, the 27-year-old will likely miss time during the start of the regular season and could open the 2025 campaign on the injured list. While he will be sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Jared Triolo to see most of the opportunities at first base, with Billy Cook or Bryan Reynolds potentially operating as the backup option. The Pirates acquired Horwitz earlier in the offseason via a trade from the Cleveland Guardians. Last season with Toronto, the 27-year-old posted a .265/.357/.433 slash line with 19 doubles and 12 home runs. He should see most of the starting opportunities at first base when he returns.

Sources tell Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Andrew Destin that Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz (wrist) will miss time in spring training with a right-wrist injury. The severity of Horwitz's wrist injury is unclear, but it will certainly put his status up in the air for Opening Day in late March. The 27-year-old was dealt from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Cleveland Guardians and then to the Pirates this offseason. If healthy, he's expected to serve as the Bucs' primary first baseman in 2025 after hitting .265/.357/.433 with a .790 OPS, 12 home runs, 40 RBI and 46 runs scored in 381 plate appearances over 97 games in Toronto in 2024. If Horwitz's wrist injury is serious enough to keep him out for the start of the regular season, it's possible that Jared Triolo will slide across the diamond and start at first base for Pittsburgh. Stay tuned for more information on the severity of Horwitz's injury.

The Cleveland Guardians traded second baseman/first baseman Spencer Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night in exchange for pitchers Luis L. Ortiz, Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy, according to sources. The Guardians traded second baseman Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the day for Horwitz before flipping him to Pittsburgh. Horwitz's best path to playing time in Pittsburgh will likely come at first base, but given his lackluster defensive skills and his struggles against left-handed pitching, the 27-year-old could quickly become a platoon player in his new digs in 2025. The former 24th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2019 out of Radford has hit a combined .264/.355/.428 with a .783 OPS, 13 home runs and 47 RBI in his two big-league seasons over 112 games. The move from Toronto to Pittsburgh is less than ideal for fantasy purposes.

The Cleveland Guardians acquired first baseman/second baseman Spencer Horwitz from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in the deal that sent second baseman Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin to Toronto, according to a source. Horwitz comes with six years of club control -- two years at league minimum and four years of salary arbitration. Horwitz, 27, made his major-league debut in Toronto in 2023 (15 games) and hit .265/.357/.433 with a decent .790 OPS, 12 home runs, 40 RBI and 46 runs scored in 381 trips to the plate over his 97 games played. He has the ability to play multiple positions, but Gimenez now in Toronto, Horwitz figures to see most of his playing time with his new team at the keystone. The left-handed hitter was originally a 24th-round pick by Toronto in 2019 out of Radford. Horwitz's defensive skills pale in comparison to Gimenez, and he could be destined for a platoon role unless he improves against lefty pitchers.