If the Pittsburgh Pirates are serious about making a playoff push, having Bryan Reynolds on the field will be crucial. Luckily for the Pirates, Reynolds isn't planning to be away from the team much longer.

Reynolds was able to hit on Tuesday and is planning on throwing on Wednesday, via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. All in all, Reynolds is hoping to be activated off of the injured list when first eligible on Friday.

“That's the hope,” Reynolds said of his potential Friday return.

The star outfielder has been on the shelf with lower back inflammation. His injury was bad timing for Pittsburgh, as the Pirates have slipped to 36-42 and are now five games back in the NL Central. The team has gone just 2-8 over their last 10 games.

However, Reynolds' return would provide an immediate spark to the Pirates lineup. In 68 games this season, Reynolds is hitting .279 with eight home runs, 40 RBI and eight stolen bases. He leads the team in batting average and RBI and ranks third in stolen bases.

The Pirates know how crucial Reynolds is to their success when they signed him to the largest contract in franchise history. Over his five years in Pittsburgh, Reynolds has hit .281 with 82 home runs, 40 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He was an All-Star in 2021.

Pittsburgh's hype might've died down a bit from their fast start. However, Bryan Reynolds is just the guy to reignite the light. The Pirates will hope his optimistic injury return date comes to fruition and Reynolds is back on the diamond sooner than later.