Pirates Change Oneil Cruz Rehab Assignment
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates can't wait for center fielder Oneil Cruz to fully return, and they're hoping he's close to doing just that.
The Pirates will transfer Cruz's rehab assignment from Triple-A Indianapolis to Double-A Altoona, starting with their series opener against Akron (Cleveland Guardians) at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Aug. 11.
Cruz moves from Indianapolis to Altoona, as Indianapolis is on the road against Nashville (Milwaukee Brewers), while Altoona is home.
It's another chance for Cruz to build back up game fitness and rejoin the Pirates in the near future.
When Will Cruz Return to the Pirates?
It's been more than two months since Cruz played for the Pirates on June 7, and he is also eligible to come off the 60-day injured list, with his first day eligible being back on Aug. 7.
He started his rehab assignment with Indianapolis on Aug. 7, instead, where he played two games against Iowa at Victory Field (home), marking his first game appearances since his injury.
Cruz didn't have the best weekend, finishing 0-for-5 with two walks and three strikeouts, but he did play seven innings in each game in center field, getting him closer to finally returning.
The 27-year old fractured his left hand after sliding in at home plate against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 6, with catcher Austin Wynns applying the tag on his left hand.
Cruz has worked back from that fracture, working through gripping exercises to build strength in his left hand up again and also going through him swinging a bat and withstanding contact.
He had to work through some pain before resuming all baseball activities, but he is now fully good to participate in these rehab assignment games.
If all goes well over the next few days, it's likely the Pirates would want Cruz back for their next homestand against the Boston Red Sox, Aug. 14-16, and the Detroit Tigers, Aug. 17-19.
Pirates Seriously Need Cruz Back
The Pirates are playing their worst baseball of 2026 and it's threatening to take them out of the race for a National League Wild Card spot quickly.
Pittsburgh has gone 8-15 out of the All-Star break, lost six straight series and won just six of their past 20 games, putting them at 58-62, four games below .500.
The Pirates have seriously missed Cruz's bat in the lineup, as they've struggled to score runs consistently.
Cruz was having his best season prior to his injury, batting .264/.350/.472 for an OPS of .822 in 64 games, with 66 hits, 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 44 RBI and 21 stolen bases.
The Pirates would also want Cruz's bat against left-handed pitchers, something they've struggled against, and something that Cruz made massive improvements with, slashing .312/.361/.506 for an OPS of .867.
Cruz could make a big difference with his return and he'll hope to finally get going during this rehab assignment and come back and help the Pirates in the near future.
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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.