MLB Player News

Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced after Sunday's victory over the White Sox that Cruz has a fractured left ankle, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

The injury occurred on a collision at home plate with White Sox catcher Seby Zavala. The star shortstop couldn't put much weight on his leg and required assistance to leave the field. The fracture will certainly result in Cruz being placed on the injured list and could cost the 24-year-old a significant portion of the 2023 season. While Cruz is out, it's like Rodolfo Castro will play shortstop, although the Pirates could turn to a prospect like Liover Peguero at some point. It's a devastating loss for the Pirates, fantasy players and fans of exciting young players.

Reds vice president of player development Shawn Pender announced Sunday that De La Cruz (hamstring) has resumed baseball activities, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

De La Cruz sustained a left hamstring strain late in spring training and has yet to make his debut for Triple-A Louisville. The 21-year-old is ranked as one of the top hitting prospects in baseball, and assuming good health, he could be a factor for the Reds before the end of the 2023 campaign.

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.

Rojas (groin) is hitting eighth and playing shortstop against the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Rojas returns to the lineup after missing close to a week while dealing with a left groin injury. The 34-year-old infielder will handle shortstop duties, and Chris Taylor will begin Sunday's series finale against the Diamondbacks on the bench.

Perdomo went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double and three total RBI in a 12-8 win against the Dodgers on Saturday.

Los Angeles jumped out to an early four-run lead before Perdomo brought Arizona within a run with his two-run shot to right field in the second inning. The shortstop later doubled in a score in the seventh to provide the Diamondbacks with a four-run cushion. The second-inning long ball was Perdomo's first of the season, and he leads Arizona with seven RBI in just six games. Perdomo is slashing an impressive .455/.625/1.000 through 17 plate appearances.

Rojas (groin) may return to the lineup Sunday against Arizona, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

A groin injury has kept Rojas out of action since April 2, but he appears to be on the verge of a return. Per Ardaya, the plan is for Rojas to play Sunday and Tuesday while sitting out Monday. The veteran infielder has yet to get going this season, going 2-for-14 with a double and a run in the four games that he has played.

Rojas (groin) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rojas continues to sit as he recovers from a left groin injury. Chris Taylor will get the start at shortstop with James Outman in left field and Jason Heyward patrolling center.

Crawford (forearm) is starting at shortstop and batting seventh Saturday against the Royals, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford missed one game with mild forearm tightness but returned to action Friday and went 0-for-3 with a walk. The veteran shortstop went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and a stolen base in the second game of the season, but he's otherwise hitless in his other 19 plate appearances.

Ahmed went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 6-3 win over the Dodgers.

Ahmed returned to the lineup after sitting against a pair of right-handers and provided space for the Diamondbacks. The shortstop helped turn a one-run, eighth-inning lead into a more comfortable three-run lead. An infield single plated Evan Longoria, then after stealing his first bag of the season, Ahmed trotted home on Gabriel Moreno's double. He's started at shortstop whenever Arizona faced a lefty, while Geraldo Perdomo got the calls against righties. It's important to note the plan is to bring Ahmed along slowly early in 2023 following last year's shoulder surgery, so he could reclaim a greater share of playing time as the season moves forward.

Tovar went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored Friday against the Nationals.

Tovar came to the plate with runners on first and second in the seventh inning and he delivered an RBI double before also coming around to score in the same frame. He's enjoyed the team's first homestand of the season and is now in the midst of a modest three-game hitting streak. Despite his performance picking up of late, Tovar still has only five hits across 25 at-bats to start the season, and he's also struck out nine times.