Pirates Give Oneil Cruz New Job During Hot Streak
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates head into a crucial series finale and will have Oneil Cruz focus on one specific thing.
Cruz starts at designated hitter for the first time in 2026, staying first in the batting order as the Pirates go for the series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 7.
He had started his previous 34 games this season in center field, but will instead focus entirely on hitting, taking over from Marcell Ozuna, the usual designated hitter for the Pirates.
Jake Mangum will start in center field in place of Cruz, marking just his third start there this season and 17th start of the season in the outfield.
Bryan Reynolds remains in left field and Ryan O'Hearn stays in right field to complete the Pirates outfield trio.
Why Cruz Might Benefit From Playing DH
Cruz has had a solid season so far, slashing .250/.306/.473 for an OPS of .779, with 37 hits, six doubles, nine home runs, 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases on 14 attempts.
His nine home runs are tied for the team-lead with second baseman Brandon Lowe and rank tied for 15th-most in baseball and tied for seventh-most in the National League.
Cruz has struggled so far against the Diamondbacks, with no hits in eight at-bats and two strikeouts, so allowing him to focus entirely on hitting will give the Pirates the lift they need, as they've scored jut two runs in the past three games.
He did score one of those two runs, with an RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth inning, the go-ahead run in the 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 3.
Cruz had a strong series vs. the Reds, with five hits in 15 at-bats and two RBI, as the Pirates earned a big sweep over their NL Central divisional rival.
If he can provide the hits the Pirates need in this one, especially going up against a strong pitcher in Diamondbacks right-handed starter Zac Gallen, the Pirates will earn another important road series victory and stay in the competitive NL Central.
How the Rest of Pirates Lineup Looks Vs. Diamondbacks
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Oneil Cruz | Designated Hitter | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Fielder | Switch |
Ryan O'Hearn | Right Fielder | Left |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Konnor Griffin | Shortstop | Right |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
Jake Mangum | Center Field | Switch |
Joey Bart | Catcher | Right |
The Pirates are going entirely left-handed vs. Gallen for their first five hitters, with Lowe second behind Cruz, Reynolds hitting third, O'Hearn hitting fourth and then first baseman Spencer Horwitz in fifth.
Pittsburgh then has their right-handed batters following, with shortstop Konnor Griffin batting sixth, third baseman Jared Triolo batting seventh, Mangum hitting eighth and catcher Joey Bart hitting ninth.
Triolo makes his second start this series and second since coming back from a patellar tendon injury, which sidelined him almost a month.
Bart will also make his second start in three games for the Pirates, where he and right-handed starter Mitch Keller will try and shut down the Diamondbacks lineup.
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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.