MLB analyst questions if the Pirates should give up on this slugger

2 hours ago 2

MLB analyst questions if the Pirates should give up on this slugger image

Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (24) breaks the bat on a swing in the second inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. © Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been on a tough slide as of late. And with the way the NL Central has played out so far this year, they are starting to dig a hole for themselves.

Across their last 10 games, they have gone 3-7 and are currently on a three-series losing streak.

The pitching staff has not lived up to expectations, putting enormous pressure on the offense to score runs. Fortunately, some offseason acquisitions have been a really big help in doing that, like Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn, but Marcell Ozuna certainly has not.

MORE: Pirates could ruin Yankees' catcher trade plans

MLB analyst questions if the Pirates should give up on this slugger

Marcell Ozuna has been exclusively used as a designated hitter this season. However, he has not done a whole lot in this position.

Across 51 games, he is hitting .193/.274/.299 with five home runs and 23 runs batted in. And with this limited production, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller questions if the Pirates should keep him around.

"At what point does Pittsburgh just give up on the host here and designate Ozuna for assignment? Not only is he slugging below .300 for the year, but lately, they haven't been using him 30 percent of the time. Ozuna has played in just five of the Pirates' last 17 games—and was replaced by a pinch hitter in three of those five appearances. Even with both Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz on the IL, they are avoiding his .574 OPS like the plague."

It's tough to keep giving a DH at-bats when he's not producing, and the Pirates have started to limit those at-bats. They've shifted who has been getting time at DH, with O'Hearn getting the call on Tuesday and Bryan Reynolds getting the call on Monday.

That could continue to be the case moving forward.