Oneil Cruz Makes First OF Start for Pirates in Two Months
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have waited a long time for Oneil Cruz to play for them once again and they will finally have him doing so.
Cruz will start in center field and bat fifth for the Pirates, as they host the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on Aug. 18 for the second game of a three-game series.
It marks his first start since June 6 and his first appearance for the Pirates since June 7, both coming against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
The Pirates activated Cruz off the 60-day injured list a day prior, but he didn't play in the 8-5 loss to the Tigers on Aug. 17, so this will mark his first game in over 72 days.
Cruz Makes Pirates Lineup That Much Better
The Pirates have missed Cruz playing for them the past two months, as he was having the best year of his career prior.
Cruz hit .264/.350/.472 for an OPS of .822, with 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 66 hits and 21 stolen bases, reaching the 10-10 club (10 home runs, 10 stolen bases), before any MLB player in 2026.
A fractured left hand kept Cruz out the past two months, which occurred after Braves catcher Austin Wynns applied the tag onto that hand when Cruz slid at home plate.
Cruz underwent a long rehab period, gripping a bat and getting used to handling bat-to-ball contact and still dealing with some swelling, which will continue even now that he's returned, but with the bones healed, he's good to go.
Pirates manager Don Kelly is confident that Cruz is ready to go and contribute the way he once did, but also knows it will take some time for him to do exactly that after his injury.
"...Hopefully that curve to get back there is shorter and hopefully help shorten it," Kelly said pregame. "He was doing such a great job before and just want him to go out and compete at a level that we know he can compete at and work back to where he was.
Pirates Lineup vs. the Tigers
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Designated Hitter | Switch |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Fielder | Right |
Oneil Cruz | Center Fielder | Left |
Jake Mangum | Left Fielder | Switch |
Rafael Flores Jr. | Catcher | Right |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
The Pirates face Tigers right-handed starting pitcher Keider Montero and have four left-handed batters, two switch hitters and three right-handed hitters.
Spencer Horwitz comes back in at first base and leads off, Brandon Lowe stays at second base and will hit second, Jacob Gonzalez takes over at shortstop and bats eighth, while Jared Triolo moves over to third base and hits ninth to round out the Pirates infield.
Bryan Reynolds will serve as designated hitter, batting third per usual, so Jake Mangum moves to left field and hits sixth, while Esmerlyn Valdez stays at right field and moves down to fourth in the batting order to complete the outfield.
Rafael Flores Jr. will serve as catcher for Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft in this one, giving Henry Davis a day off.
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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.