Pirates Announce Oneil Cruz Injury Return Timeline
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't had one of their best players in center fielder Oneil Cruz featuring for them and it will take some time before he does so again.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on the Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that Cruz will need at least four-to-six more weeks before he returns from his recent hand injury, giving a rough timeline for his return.
That has Cruz coming back right at the All-Star break, July 12, or two weeks later on July 26, which means he's missing another 25-to-34 games
It's a tough thing for the Pirates to deal with, but it does give them an idea of when they'll get Cruz back this season.
How Cruz Suffered Hand Injury
Cruz suffered left hand fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures, which happened when he slid into home plate in the 6-3 defeat to the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 6.
He served as a pinch-runner in the series finale, a 3-2 loss on June 7, and was set to start in center field against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener at PNC Park on June 9, but got scratched from the lineup, then placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 8.
Cherington said that they didn't see any fracture on the initial x-ray ahead of the next game vs. the Braves and that Cruz told them he was feeling better, which is why they had him in the lineup.
Cruz then felt pain when he was going through his hitting before the first game of the Dodgers series, which then prompted the Pirates to schedule another test.
The Pirates then discovered the fracture on the MRI/CT scan, landing Cruz on the injured list.
Cherington said that initial x-rays don't always show small fractures and that the body also takes time to show them, taking 24-48 hours to adapt and transform with the injury.
He is confident that Cruz will try to get back from this as fast as possible, but that they are exercising caution with how delicate hand injuries can be.
“Knowing Oneil, getting to know him pretty well, he will play through pain," Cherington said. "I’m confident in saying that. He has done that a lot. If and when he feels he can get back out there, he’s gonna do it.
“Obviously with the hand and given how important his hands are to him as a hitter, we want to make sure that we’re taking care of this thing so he can be a threat for the rest of the season too.”
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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.