Pirates' Oneil Cruz Makes First Position Change Since Injury
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates want to get the most out of Oneil Cruz for the rest of 2026 and will make sure to keep his bat in the lineup when they can.
The Pirates placed Cruz at designated hitter and second in the lineup ahead of their series finale vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Aug. 30.
This marks the first time that Cruz will serve as designated hitter since returning from his left hand fracture on Aug. 17 and the sixth time this season, last doing so on May 24 in a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
It is also the first time that Cruz will hit second in the lineup for the Pirates in 2026 and the first time since Sept. 22, 2024 in a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Why Cruz is DH vs. Cardinals
The Pirates have had Cruz back for almost two weeks since his left hand fracture, keeping him out for more than two months since early June.
Cruz underwent a grueling rehab and needed extra time for healing and adjusting back to hitting again and dealing with residual pain that comes from the injury.
He made his first appearance back on Aug. 18 vs. the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park and has played center field in nine of those 10 games, resting against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 4-0 loss at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 23.
Cruz had some better moments in center field when he came back, but these past two games vs. the Cardinals haven't gone as well.
He misplayed a double from Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman in the third inning of the series opener on Aug. 28, resulting in an error and Gorman moving up to third base in the 4-1 defeat.
Cruz then missed a fly ball in the next game, which he was focused on throwing out a runner trying to advance to third base, resulting in a double and a run scoring on what was three straight errors in the fifth inning.
The Pirates still want Cruz hitting, and he's done a solid job since coming back from injury, batting .257/.350/.571 with an OPS of .921, plus nine hits in 35 at-bats, a two-run triple, three home runs and eight RBI.
If Cruz can show off his bat in this one, he'll do exactly what the Pirates wanted from him, while also getting rest from playing center field at the end of a long road trip.
Pirates Lineup vs. Cardinals
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Jared Triolo | Shortstop | Right |
Oneil Cruz | Designated Hitter | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Fielder | Switch |
Rafael Flores Jr. | Catcher | Right |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Fielder | Right |
Jake Mangum | Center Fielder | Switch |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Nick Yorke | Third Base | Right |
The Pirates made numerous lineup changes as they face Cardinals left-handed starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore.
Jared Triolo moves back to shortstop and will lead off for the Pirates, as both first baseman Spencer Horwitz and second baseman Brandon Lowe, left-handed hitters, move down to fifth and eighth in the batting order, respectively.
Nick Gonzales sits after serving as designated hitter yesterday, and Nick Yorke takes over at third base, batting ninth.
Jake Mangum takes over in center field and moves down a spot to seventh in the batting order; Esmerlyn Valdez returns to right field and hits sixth, while Bryan Reynolds stays in left field and third in the lineup.
Rafael Flores Jr. catches for the second straight game and moves up to fourth in the lineup for the first time in his MLB career, not surprising after he hit a three-run home run in the 6-2 win yesterday.
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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.