WATCH: Pittsburgh Pirates Have Themselves to Blame for Oneil Cruz Injury
In this story:
The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially placed starting shortstop Oneil Cruz on the 10-day injured list with a broken ankle. He's expected to miss 10-12 weeks with the injury and it's a devastating blow to a Pirates team that has started out the season at 6-3, entering Monday.
The injury occurred on Sunday afternoon against the White Sox, in a game the Pirates were leading 1-0. You can see the footage of the play in question HERE:
As for the situation: It was 1-0 Pirates in the bottom of the sixth inning. Runners were at first and third. No one was out. Ke'Bryan Hayes hits a groundball to third baseman Yoan Moncada, who throws the ball home to get Cruz out. Cruz clearly wasn't anticipating a play at the plate and wasn't prepared to slide. He slid late and awkwardly into catcher Seby Zavala, which caused the ankle injury.
The benches cleared after the play with Pirates veteran Carlos Santana leading the charge.
Our own Brady Farkas of "The Payoff Pitch" podcast says that despite the horrific nature of the injury, the Pirates have no one to blame but themselves. What? That's right, he says the Pirates have no right to be mad at the White Sox -- or Zavala -- and should be upset with themselves.
Here's the reasoning why:
Despite his belief that the Pirates are to blame for the injury, Farkas obviously wishes the best for Cruz moving forward. The 24-year-old is among the brightest young stars in the game. He is hitting .250 for the season with a homer, four RBI and three stolen bases through 32 at-bats.
He made his major league debut in 2021 but really burst out in 2022, clocking 19 home runs and bringing in 61 in just 87 games.
Follow Fastball on FanNation in social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
