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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Homer, steal in extra-innings loss
Rotowire
Cruz went 1-for-5 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base and two total runs scored in Sunday's 7-6 extra-innings loss to the Giants.
Cruz went 5-for-14 with two walks during this three-game series in San Francisco. The homer was his first since April 28, ending his season-worst 10-game stretch without a long ball. The outfielder is batting .255 with a .793 OPS, 10 homers, 15 steals, 29 RBI and 31 runs scored over 39 contests this season, providing well-rounded production in the counting stats.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Three hits, steal in win
Rotowire
Cruz went 3-for-6 with a stolen base and three runs scored in Saturday's 13-3 win over the Giants.
Cruz was in a bit of a slump prior to Saturday, going 1-for-14 with two walks and four strikeouts over his previous four games. He broke out with a strong game atop the order, which included his third steal in the last four games. Cruz is now hitting .256 with a .783 OPS, nine home runs, 28 RBI, 29 runs scored, 14 steals and six doubles across 38 contests. He's made some gains in power without sacrificing speed on the basepaths, but Cruz's 33.7 percent strikeout rate remains alarmingly high, especially for a leadoff hitter.
Cruz went 2-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI on Saturday against the Reds.
Nearly every hitter in the Pirates' lineup delivered counting stats in a 17-7 win, and Cruz contributed to significant rallies in the first and fourth innings. He's had a mediocre homestand across six games, going 6-for-24 with three RBI and six runs scored. Cruz has had a very impressive start to the season with nine home runs and 27 RBI already, though his 35.8 percent strikeout rate remains a significant red flag in his skills profile.
Cruz went 2-for-5 with a solo home run during the Pirates' 11-7 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Cruz missed Monday's series opener due to an illness but was back in the lineup for Tuesday's contest, when he put the Pirates on the board with a solo homer off Kyle Leahy in the sixth inning. Cruz is in the midst of a breakout season and sits in the top five in the National League in home runs (nine), RBI (25) and stolen bases (10), though his 45 strikeouts are second-most in the NL behind James Wood (46).
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Back in action Tuesday
Rotowire
Cruz (illness) is starting in center field and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Cardinals.
The 27-year-old was scratched from the lineup for Monday's series opener due to an illness but is good to go for Tuesday's contest. Cruz has gone 0-for-10 with five strikeouts in his past two games but overall has been productive during the first month of the campaign with eight home runs, 10 steals, 24 RBI, 19 runs and an .838 OPS in 27 games.
Cruz was scratched from the Pirates' starting lineup against the Cardinals on Monday due to an illness.
Cruz evidently fell ill prior to Monday's game, which prompted the Pirates to replace him with Jake Mangum in center field and shift Spencer Horwitz to the leadoff spot in the batting order. Cruz will continue to receive treatment in the hopes of being cleared to return for Tuesday's contest against St. Louis.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Scratched from Monday's lineup
Rotowire
Cruz (undisclosed) has been scratched from Monday's lineup against the Cardinals.
It's unclear why Cruz was removed, but he has been replaced by Jake Mangum in center field. The Pirates should have an update on Cruz's status during or shortly after Monday's contest.
Cruz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
It's the first day off for Cruz since the second contest of the season, and it comes after he went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts and an RBI across the first two games of the series in Milwaukee. Billy Cook is picking up a start in center field Sunday.
Cruz went 1-for-4 with a steal and a run scored during the Pirates' 5-1 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.
Cruz showed off his speed early by stealing second base in the first inning, and after moving to third on a Danny Jansen throwing error, Cruz was brought home by an Ryan O'Hearn single to center field. Cruz is up to 10 steals (on 11 attempts) this season, tied with Nasim Nunez for second most in the majors behind Jose Ramirez (11). Cruz is off to a strong start to the 2026 season with a .897 OPS, six home runs and 19 RBI over 103 plate appearances.
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