Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Likely to ditch boot next week
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (fibula) is expected to transition out of his walking boot next week, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
When that happens, he'll be cleared for strength and range-of-motion exercises for his surgically-repaired left leg. Cruz is expected to be on the shelf until sometime in August.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Out of boot by early June
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The Pirates revealed Wednesday that they expect Cruz (fibula) to be able to remove his walking boot within the next 10-14 days, MLB.com reports.
At that point, Cruz will begin regaining strength and range of motion in his surgically repaired left leg. Cruz fractured his fibula in early April and the team said at the time they expected a four-month recovery, which tentatively puts him in line to be back sometime in August.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Cleared for upper-body work
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Cruz (fibula) returned to the clubhouse Thursday after he had the staples removed from his surgically-repaired left leg this week, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Cruz was also given clearance to begin upper-body conditioning and weight lifting, the first significant step in what will be a long rehab process. The dynamic 24-year-old shortstop is expected to be sidelined until at least early August. Rodolfo Castro has been at short most days for the Pirates since the April 9 fibula fracture.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Transferred to 60-day IL
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Cruz (fibula) was transferred Tuesday from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
This move clears out a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Eli Villalobos, who was claimed off waivers from the Marlins on Tuesday. Cruz is expected to be sidelined for at least the next four months after suffering a fractured fibula Sunday while sliding into home plate.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Officially placed on injured list
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Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Pirates on Monday with a fractured left fibula.
Cruz had surgery Sunday to repair a fractured left fibula and damaged syndesmosis. He's expected to be sidelined for about four months, so the Pirates figure to move him to the 60-day IL once they need to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. Rodolfo Castro is expected to see the lion's share of playing time at shortstop for the Pirates while Cruz is out.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Gets surgery, out 10-to-12 weeks
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Cruz underwent surgery Sunday after suffering a fractured left ankle in the Pirates' 1-0 win over the White Sox and is expected to be sidelined for 10-to-12 weeks, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
The Pirates haven't confirmed the timeline provided by Gorman, but the fact that Cruz required surgery to address the injury rather than going the rest-and-rehab route for treatment suggests he won't be on track to meet the short end of a timetable to return from a fractured ankle, which can be as few as six weeks. Expect Pittsburgh to place Cruz on the injured list ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Astros, though he may not go on the 60-day IL until the Pirates need to open up another spot on the 40-man roster. Rodolfo Castro and Ji Hwan Bae are likely to get the first chance to serve as the Pirates' everyday middle infielders while Cruz is on the shelf, though Tucupita Marcano and/or Chris Owings could be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis and potentially make a push for playing time.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Injures leg in play at plate
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Cruz was removed in the bottom of the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the White Sox after suffering an apparent left leg injury following a collision at home plate with Chicago catcher Seby Zavala, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and stolen base prior to departing the game.
Cruz sustained the injury on a hard slide into home plate and was called out after being tagged by Zavala. The star shortstop didn't appear to be putting much weight on his leg and required assistance while limping off the field. The Pirates will likely provide an update on Cruz's condition later Sunday or shortly after the game, but the 24-year-old looks like a good bet to miss time, even if his injury isn't significant enough to require a trip to the injured list.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Back in lineup Friday
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Cruz (face) is in the Pirates' lineup for Friday's home opener against the White Sox.
Cruz had to leave Wednesday's game with a facial injury following a collision with Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers. However, it looks like he's ready to go following Thursday's off day. Cruz is 6-for-23 with one home run and one stolen base in the early going.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Being evaluated for injury to face
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Cruz is being evaluated for a facial injury, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Cruz took a blow to the face as he collided with Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game at Fenway Park. His left eye specifically seemed to be giving him trouble, but the Pirates are classifying Cruz's injury as a facial issue. Pittsburgh is off Thursday, so more clarity on Cruz's status should arrive shortly before Friday's game against the White Sox.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Leaves with apparent injury
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Cruz was removed from Wednesday's game in Boston due to an apparent left eye injury, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Cruz had an awkward collision with Rafael Devers near the third base bag in the top of the seventh inning and was replaced before the bottom of the seventh. A trainer appeared to be looking at his left eye. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Nabs first steal of season
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Cruz went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox.
His modest four-game hit streak to begin the season came to an end, but Cruz made up for it with his first steal of 2023. The 24-year-old comes into the season with sky-high expectations after slugging 17 homers and stealing 10 bases in 87 big-league games last year, and while he's batting only .263 (5-for-19) with one home run and one stolen base through five games, his 3:4 BB:K is highly encouraging. If Cruz's plate discipline takes a big step forward, a massive fantasy campaign is likely to follow.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Smacks awe-inspiring homer
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Cruz went 1-for-2 with two walks, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Reds.
Cruz erased an early Reds lead with a missile of a home run, a 425-foot long ball off Hunter Greene clocked at 111.1 mph off the bat. His tools are just silly, and the walks are nice to see, suggesting the improved plate discipline from late last season might stick. While the team context isn't great, the upside is massive regardless for the Pirates' leadoff hitter.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: At leadoff spot for opener
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Cruz is batting leadoff for the Pirates in their season opener Thursday against the Reds.
Cruz jumped up into the leadoff spot down the stretch in 2022, and he can hopefully latch onto that role throughout the entire 2023 campaign. The dynamic 24-year-old shortstop has tallied 18 home runs and 10 stolen bases across his first 89 major-league games.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Cutting down strikeouts
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Cruz has struck out 11 times in 44 at-bats during Grapefruit League play.
Cruz has only 10 hits this spring -- four of which have gone for extra bases -- but his improved ability to make contact is a positive sign. He struck out at a 34.9 percent clip across 361 plate appearances in the majors last season, but he regularly kept his punchouts within the range of 25 percent throughout his minor-league career. If his increased contact rate can carry over into the regular season, it's a good bet that Cruz will improve upon his .233 average while also providing plenty of home runs and stolen bases.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Contract renewed for 2023
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Cruz has his contract renewed for the 2023 season by the Pirates on Wednesday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Cruz will make the league minimum $720,000 as he participates in his first full season of MLB action in 2023. The uber-athletic shortstop is expected to make a major leap forward in his development this year and will look to flex both his power at the plate and his speed on the bases. Cruz said late last month that he expects to have a 30-homer, 30-steal season for the Pirates, a lofty goal for the 24-year-old. He'll look to improve upon the uninspiring .233 average and 34.9 strikeout percentage he produced over 331 at-bats in 87 games last year.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: No limitations for spring training
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The Pirates announced Wednesday that Cruz (ankle) is a "full go" for spring training, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Though Cruz sustained what was reported to be a minor ankle injury in December while he played in the Dominican Winter League, his availability for the start of spring training was never believed to be in much question. It's reassuring nonetheless that the Pirates have cleared him for full activity for the first week of camp, ensuring that the 24-year-old can continue to hone his craft in the field and at the plate during the Grapefruit League slate. Last week, Cruz told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic that he expects to turn in a "30/30 or 40/40" season, and while that type of lofty production probably isn't realistic, a 20/20 season is certainly attainable for the toolsy shortstop if health prevails and he shows some growth as a hitter. In 361 plate appearances with the big club as a rookie last season, Cruz notched 17 home runs and 10 stolen bases, but a bloated 34.9 percent strikeout rate weighed down his batting average (.233).
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Swipes 11th bag
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Cruz went 3-for-6 with a run scored and a stolen base in an 8-7 extra-inning loss Tuesday against St. Louis.
Cruz singled in the first, third and 10th innings, scoring a run in the first and stealing a base in the 10th. It was his 11th stolen base in 15 attempts this season and fourth steal since Sept. 23. He's had multi-hit performances in six of his last eight games, posting a .429/.487/.514 slash line in 39 plate appearances in that span. He's cut down on his strikeouts over the final part of the season and has a 5:5 BB:K in his last 44 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Returns to form Sunday
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Cruz went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base in Sunday's victory over the Cardinals.
After receiving the day off Saturday, Cruz returned to form with two timely hits and a walk Sunday. The rookie led off the third with a single, stole second base to record his 10th steal of the season and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to put the Pirates up 4-3. He also scored after smashing a double in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5. Over his last 10 games, Cruz is batting .308 (12-for-39) with nine runs, two RBI and three stolen bases.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Swipes ninth bag
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Cruz went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base Tuesday against the Reds.
Cruz led off the seventh inning with a single and promptly stole second base before coming around to score. While it is a small sample, Cruz has shown an improved ability to make contact by striking out only twice across his last six games and 28 plate appearances. He's slowly improved his overall line for the season, as he is now hitting .225/.281/.454 across 327 plate appearances while also tallying 17 home runs and nine stolen bases.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Notches first four-hit game
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Cruz went 4-for-5 with two runs in Monday's 8-3 win against the Reds.
Cruz batted atop the order and did the job of a leadoff hitter, reaching base four times on singles. His hit in the fifth inning led to Pittsburgh's first run, though Cruz wasn't credited with an RBI since the runner crossed the plate due to an error. The rookie has followed a four-game, 0-for-13 stretch by going 6-for-9 and scoring three runs over his past two contests.
