PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are having trouble avoiding injuries during training camp and their first two preseason games. After a disappointing 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills where the first team offense was nonexistent, there is some salt being thrown in their proverbial wound. It was announced that running back Jaylen Warren will miss multiple weeks due to an apparent hamstring injury.

After catching a pass from quarterback Russell Wilson, Warren left the game under his own power but looked hobbled. He missed the remainder of the game, and reportedly could miss some time. According to NFL insider Tom Pelissaro, Warren’s injury is a hamstring issue that could keep him out multiple weeks.

With the uncertainty of Warren’s return timeline, it’s possible he misses the team’s week one opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Steelers beat writer for Penn Live, Nick Farabaugh, added via his X account that Warren’s availability for week one is “going to be right on the border.”

The injury comes at the worst possible time for the Steelers. Warren’s 2023 campaign earned him a starting role with the team, as he formed a formidable one-two punch with Najee Harris. With 149 carries, he picked up over 700 rushing yards in addition to over 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Without Warren, Harris figures to continue his role as the Steelers’ bell cow. He may be given more carries with Warren out, but it’s possible the Steelers use this as a chance to give some other players an expanded look.

Behind Harris, there figures to be more opportunities for newly-signed Cordarrelle Patterson to work as a runner. Depth options like La’Mical Perine, Aaron Shampklin, and Jonathan Ward, who all impressed in small doses during preseason action, could also benefit from Warren’s injury.

The Steelers open their season in just a few weeks against the Falcons. The team travels to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on September 8, giving Warren just three weeks to get back on the field.

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Few players have meant more to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 21st century than Andrew McCutchen.

For the foreseeable future, though, they’ll be without McCutchen, as a left knee injury landed him on the 10-day Injured List on Saturday. While Pittsburgh managed fine in his absence in a 7-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, the impact of losing McCutchen isn’t lost on Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

“Big shoes to fill,” Kiner Falefa said. “This is his team [and] his organization. His number is going to get retired here. He means a lot to us. He’s been a big help for me. Hopefully, I can just keep learning from him.”

Kiner-Falefa, who was acquired by Pittsburgh (58-64) at the trade deadline by the Toronto Blue Jays, stepped into the leadoff spot with McCutchen out. The utility infielder went 3-for-4 and hit his first home run in a Pirates uniform. In 13 games, the 29-year-old has batted .296 with five RBIs, three doubles and two triples.

McCutchen, 37, has been the sparkplug for the Pirates offense out of the leadoff spot, batting .252 with 15 home runs and 35 RBIs. For the season, the former MVP is batting .235 with 16 home runs, 40 RBIs and a team-high 59 runs scored. The five-time all-star leads Pittsburgh with 51 walks and is second in on-base percentage (.350), only trailing fellow outfielder Bryan Reynolds.

With Pittsburgh only having a 0.6 percent chance of making the playoffs via the Wild Card, according to Fangraphs, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Pirates took a much more precautionary approach with McCutchen for the rest of the season. Managing without one of their best hitters won’t be easy, though, and Kiner-Falefa knows the challenge that lies ahead without McCutchen in the lineup.

“Cutch is irreplaceable,” Kiner-Falefa said. “No matter what you do, you’re never going to replace a guy like that. So we could go on a run, and it still doesn’t make up for not having him in the lineup.”

Pittsburgh will look to get the sweep when it faces the Mariners on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park.

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are kicking off a bus tour in western Pennsylvania today.

The Harris campaign is hoping to continue the momentum she has seen in recent polling as the Democratic National Convention approaches. 

Harris will land in the Pittsburgh area along with her running mate Tim Walz and they’ll be joined by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz. 

It’s the first time Harris, Walz, and their spouses will appear on the campaign trail since they were all together at their first rally in Philadelphia nearly two weeks ago. 

Now, they’re headed to our area and that’s where their bus tour will begin. The campaign said the stops will focus on smaller events such as canvassing, phone banks, and making stops at local retailers. 

This comes just a couple of days after Harris released her economic plan, mentioning her intentions to eliminate medical debt, cap prescription drug costs, and provide first-time home buyers with a $25,000 subsidy, among other things. 

The campaign plans to hit both Allegheny and Beaver Counties, the latter being a key to President Joe Biden winning the 2020 election. Beaver County is typically a red county, but it helped propel Biden and Harris to the White House four years ago. 

Of course, Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes, and the Real Clear Politics polling average has former President Donald Trump and Harris tied. Harris has gained momentum since President Biden made his decision to drop out of the race. 

This bus tour, and the DNC starting this week, are looked at by the Harris campaign as a way to keep the momentum going as the November election approaches. 

We’ll have more on Vice President Harris’s visit throughout the day on KDKA-TV as well as KDKA.com.