Pirates release Marcell Ozuna after disappointing tenure
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 5, 2026, 4:31 PM
Last updated Aug 5, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates have released designated hitter Marcell Ozuna following a lackluster performance in the current season. Signed to a one-year, $12 million contract, Ozuna batted.203 with eight home runs during his time with the team. His struggles were compounded by historically poor stats at PNC Park, where he hit.229 over 65 games. With a -1.0 fWAR and diminishing playing time, the Pirates have decided to cut ties. To fill his spot, Pittsburgh has called up prospect Ronny Simon, who boasts a.330 batting average in Triple-A Indianapolis this year.
- •Marcell Ozuna batted.203 with eight home runs for the Pirates.
- •Ozuna's performance was significantly below expectations and league average.
- •The Pirates now turn to Ronny Simon, who is impressing in Triple-A.
- •Pittsburgh went 28-42 with Ozuna in the starting lineup.
- •This marks the end of Ozuna's time with the team after signing in the offseason.
- 4:31 PMYahoo Sports — Pirates cut DH Marcell Ozuna
"The Marcell Ozuna experiment has officially come to an end.
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