Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Belts two-run homer in return
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Cruz went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run during the Pirates' 4-1 win over the Tigers on Tuesday.
Cruz was activated from the 60-day injured list Monday, but he had to wait until Tuesday to make his return to the lineup. He made an immediate impact in his return with a two-run long ball in the fifth to put the Pirates up for good. It's a great sign for Cruz, who had been working his way back from a fractured left hand that he suffered in early June. His return is a significant boost for a Pirates team attempting to make a late surge to reach the postseason.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Returns from IL, not starting Monday
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The Pirates reinstated Cruz (hand) from the 60-day injured list Monday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
After going 3-for-22 with a 3:7 BB:K and a stolen base over six rehab games between Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona, Cruz returned to PNC Park on Sunday to be re-evaluated, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. With the training staff coming away satisfied with how his fractured left hand has healed, Cruz received the green light to rejoin the Pirates' active roster. Cruz won't be included in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener versus the Tigers, but he should quickly settle back in as the Pirates' primary center fielder after slashing .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs, 21 steals, 45 runs and 44 RBI in 64 games prior to landing on the shelf.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Will not be activated this weekend
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Cruz (hand) will remain on his rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona at least through the weekend, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The Pirates hadn't previously ruled out a return from the 60-day injured list for Cruz this weekend against the Red Sox, but they've opted to give him more time. Cruz has gone 2-for-13 with a 3:6 BB:K through his first four rehab games between Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He has not yet started back-to-back games in center field, and the Pirates likely want him to check that box before reinstating him. Cruz has been shelved since mid-June with a fractured hand.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Cleared to begin rehab assignment
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Cruz (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Cruz has finally been cleared to test things out in a game setting after missing two months with a fractured left hand. The center fielder would ideally be given a handful of rehab contests to knock the rust off, but the Pirates might not have the luxury of taking things slowly as they fight for a playoff spot. Cruz slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 64 games for Pittsburgh before getting hurt.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: No timeline to return
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General manager Ben Cherington said that there is no timeline for Cruz (hand) to return from the injured list, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Cruz was cleared for all baseball activities July 29, seemingly paving the way for him to return from the 60-day injured list Aug. 7. However, Cherington only made a vague statement that Cruz is making progress and on track, with the hope that he returns to games soon. While it sounds like Cruz is still nearing activation, that may not occur until closer to mid-August.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Cleared for all baseball activities
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (hand) has been cleared for all baseball activities, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Cruz is finally trending in the right direction as he continues rehabbing a fractured left hand. The Pirates anticipate the center fielder getting in some live at-bats later this week or early next week before heading out on a rehab assignment shortly thereafter. Cruz is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Aug. 7, and he could be ready to go on or around that date if all goes well. Jake Mangum has been filling in as the Pirates' everyday center fielder since Cruz went down, but he will revert to fourth-outfielder duties once Cruz is back in the fold.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Nearing rehab assignment
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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (hand) has had "good days of late" and could be ready to start up a rehab assignment in early August, Dominic Campbell of SI.com reports.
Cruz has been on the shelf since sustaining a fractured left hand June 8 and will be eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Aug. 7. He would appear to have decent odds of being ready to rejoin the Pirates on or around that date, as he's been swinging a bat for a few weeks and seems to have moved past the lingering soreness in his hand that he had experienced early on during the recovery process. Cruz will continue to ramping up over the next few days before the Pirates potentially map out a rehab assignment for him.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Shifts to 60-day IL
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The Pirates transferred Cruz (hand) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Cruz hasn't suffered any setbacks in his recovery from a hand fracture he suffered in June, but the Pirates will move him to the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man spot for Khristian Curtis, who was selected to the active roster Saturday. Cruz will now be eligible to return from the injured list Aug. 8 and figures to have a strong chance to return after a minimum-length stay if his rehab continues smoothly.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Out through All-Star break
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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that he expects Cruz (hand) to return from the 10-day injured list at some point in July, most likely after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The timeline laid out by Cherington isn't an unexpected one, after the GM had previously said June 14 that Cruz was likely to need 4-to-6 weeks to recover from non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand. Cruz has made positive strides in his recovery over the past two weeks and is scheduled to report to the Pirates' facility in Florida this week to accelerate his baseball activities.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Out of lineup due to hand issue
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Cruz (hand) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
Cruz will remain on the bench for a third straight game while he continues to experience discomfort stemming from a cut to his left hand, which he sustained during a hard slide in Atlanta over the weekend. Jake Mangum will pick up a start in center field in place of Cruz, who is being viewed as day-to-day while he continues to receive treatment for the injury.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Ready to go Tuesday
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Cruz (hand) is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Cruz was held out of Sunday's lineup due to a cut on his hand that he suffered when he slid into home plate during Saturday's matchup against Atlanta. The 27-year-old has slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 homers, 44 RBI and 21 steals on the campaign. Cruz will play center field and bat sixth Tuesday.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Considered day-to-day
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Cruz suffered a cut on his hand during Saturday's game against Atlanta and is being considered day-to-day, Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan reports.
Cruz was held out of the lineup Sunday after suffering a cut on his hand while sliding into home plate. However, the club is confident that the star outfielder will be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, and he'll presumably be re-evaluated before Tuesday's series opener against the Dodgers to determine if he can be penciled into the starting nine.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Not starting Sunday
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Cruz isn't in Pittsburgh's starting lineup for Sunday's matchup against Atlanta.
Cruz has started June in fine form, posting a .591 OBP with a homer, two stolen bases and seven walks through five games, but he'll get a breather Sunday. Jake Mangum is starting in center field for the Pirates.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Reaches 20-steal mark
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Cruz went 2-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's 11-9 loss to the Astros.
Cruz went 1-for-2 on stolen-base attempts in this contest, with his successful swipe being his 20th of the year. He's logged four of those thefts over his last eight games, going 9-for-27 (.333) at the plate with three home runs, 10 RBI and seven walks in that span. The speedster is now batting .263 with an .816 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs scored and 10 doubles over 60 contests. Cruz is tracking toward a career year despite also leading the majors with 94 strikeouts.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Three-hit night in win Tuesday
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Cruz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Rockies.
Cruz doubled and scored in both the first and fifth innings, accounting for most of the offense for Pittsburgh in this low-scoring affair. It marked Cruz's second three-hit game in the last three contests, and he's now on a four-game hitting streak, having gone 8-for-18 during that span. On the year, the center fielder is slashing .266/.330/.491 with 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 33 runs scored, 15 stolen bases and a 14:62 BB:K across 185 plate appearances. Cruz has one of the most prolific batted-ball profiles in the sport, as he's in the 95th percentile or better in average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate and bat speed.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Homer, steal in extra-innings loss
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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: Scores twice in big win
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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.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Homers in return
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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
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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.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Collects 10th steal
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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.
