Pirates' Don Kelly Explains Oneil Cruz Lineup Decision
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates head into an important game at the start of their season without one of their main outfielders in the lineup.
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz isn't starting as they face the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 28, with newly acquired Jake Mangum making his team debut in the position and batting ninth.
Cruz had a poor Opening Day vs. the Mets on March 26, which saw him struggle both in center field and at the plate.
He started too far in on a ball hit from designated hitter Brett Baty, which would score all three runs for a bases-clearing triple. He then missed a ball in the sun, as he was not wearing sunglasses, which dropped for a double and scored Baty.
Those two mistakes counted for four runs in the first inning, which Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes wouldn't get out of and marked the shortest outing of his great career so far in the eventual 11-7 loss.
Pirates manager Don Kelly addressed Cruz's absence from the lineup pre-game and told Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it had more to do with Mets left-handed starting pitcher David Peterson taking the mound, which saw him make other lineup changes to take on that challenge.
Kelly also said that Cruz knows what he needs to do and that they had a solid talk before the game.
"Lefty starter, wanted to get Mangum in there, Yorke in there today," Kelly said. "Coming off the game Thursday, Oneil knows he has to get better, continue to work, continue to do the things that he needs to do to help this team win. Today was planned and had a good conversation with him, that he knows there's work to be done."
Cruz's Struggles vs. Left-Handed Pitching
This isn't the first time that Kelly has taken Cruz out vs. left-handed starting pitchers, as his center fielder has struggled against them in his career.
Cruz was especially poor last season against southpaws, slashing .102/.224/.176 for an OPS of .400, with just 11 hits in 108 at-bats. Alexander Canario, a right-handed batter, made many of starts in center field in place of Cruz in 2025.
Mangum, a switch-hitter, hit much better against left-handed pitching, slashing .279/.309/.341 for an OPS of .650.
Cruz spent a great deal of time during Spring Training working against left-handed pitching, facing the best the Pirates had out of their bullpen.
Kelly has recognized the work that Cruz has put in there and wants him facing them much more consistently in 2026.
"Oneil no. He worked really hard this offseason to face lefties," Kelly said. "Really want him to be an everyday player and continue to work towards that."
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.