Pirates Make Surprising Oneil Cruz Decision Before Blue Jays Game
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PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz has been one of the best hitters for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, but his recent struggles are a clear problem for the team.
Cruz is not in the Pirates lineup ahead of the next game vs. the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on May 23, which marks just the fourth time this season he hasn't started.
He hasn't missed a start for the Pirates since he didn't do so in back-to-back games on April 27 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 26, as they scratched him from the lineup 10 minutes prior to first pitch with an illness, and vs. the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25.
Cruz also didn't start vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 28, after his struggles in center field on Opening Day.
Why Cruz Likely Isn't Starting vs. the Blue Jays
Cruz isn't having the best run of late, slashing .189/.268/.243 for a OPS of .512 in his past nine games, with seven hits in 37 at-bats and four walks to 18 strikeouts.
He has also had just one hit in his last 13 at-bats over his past three games and four hits in his 25 at-bats in his past six games.
Cruz had a fantastic showing through the end of April, slashing .256/.321/.512 for an OPS of .833 in 30 games, with five doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
He has hit just one home run in May, which made him the first in the 10-10 club (10 home runs, 10 stolen bases), and just six stolen bases, with none in his past six games.
Cruz leads MLB with 80 strikeouts and his high strikeout numbers this month, 32 strikeouts in 19 games, are both concerning.
Pirates manager Don Kelly likely will want Cruz to have a day off, particularly with this the fifth of 13 consecutive days with a game, and have a chance to relax and get back to his best hitting moving forward.
Expect Cruz to come in off the bench, especially in an important pinch-hitting situation.
How the Pirates Lineup vs. Blue Jays Shapes Up
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Nick Gonzales | Second Base | Right |
Konnor Griffin | Shortstop | Right |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Jhostynxon Garcia | Center Field | Right |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Field | Right |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
The Pirates are facing Blue Jays left-handed starting pitcher Patrick Corbin, which brings out an almost entirely right-handed hitting lineup.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz is the only true left-handed batter in the Pirates lineup, a surprise, as he normally doesn't start vs. left-handed pitching.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe is also not in the lineup, slashing .196/.263/.373 for an OPS of .636 against southpaws, while Cruz is a left-handed hitter himself, but has slashed .303/.333/.530 for an OPS of .863 against lefties, so that's not a valid reason not to start him.
Nick Gonzales will lead off for the Pirates for the third time this road trip and third time this season, while moving to second base.
Jared Triolo takes over at third base and hits seventh, while shortstop Konnor Griffin moves up to second in the batting order to round out the Pirates infield.
Bryan Reynolds returns to left field after not starting in the series opener, hitting third, while rookies in Jhostynxon Garcia and Esmerlyn Valdez remain in center field and hitting sixth and right field and hitting eighth, respectively.
It is the third start and second straight start for Garcia in center field and second straight start for Valdez in right field, with both players making their Pirates debuts this road trip and Valdez making his MLB debut the game prior.
Marcell Ozuna returns at designated hitter and bats fourth, while Henry Davis is back in at catcher for right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who makes his 11th start of the season for the Pirates.
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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.