Oneil Cruz's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) left early during Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. Cruz left the game after slipping in the outfield, but is considered as day-to-day. Manager Derek Shelton said Cruz was pulled for precautionary reasons and is dealing with ankle discomfort. This sounds like a day-to-day type of issue that shouldn't require a trip to the injured list. Cruz is still getting comfortable with his new spot in the outfield, but the Pirates want to see him out there long term. Michael A. Taylor replaced Cruz in center field on Sunday. Taylor will likely see more time out there until Cruz is back, but he doesn't offer much value with his .190 batting average.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is making his first career start in center field and will bat third on Wednesday against the division-rival Chicago Cubs and right-hander Kyle Hendricks at PNC Park. With Cruz in the outfield, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is at short and batting leadoff. The Pirates mentioned earlier this week that they were going to ease Cruz into center-field duties earlier this week, with this being the first start of his professional career in that spot. Pittsburgh will roll with Kiner-Falefa and Nick Gonzales up the middle the rest of the way. On days Cruz doesn't play in center, he will be the designated hitter. Already a must-start in all fantasy formats, Cruz's value will only go up with more positional flexibility heading into the 2025 season. In his career against Hendricks in five at-bats, he's hitting .200 with a homer and an RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced during his pre-game press conference on Monday that shortstop Oneil Cruz will start seeing time in center field. The Pirates haven't released their starting lineup for Monday's contest against the division-rival Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, but fantasy managers should expect the change to take effect immediately. It means that Cruz's already high fantasy value will be further boosted when he eventually gains outfield eligibility. With Cruz moving to center field, the Bucs plan to use Isiah Kiner-Falefa as their starting shortstop and Nick Gonzales as their starting second baseman the rest of the way in 2024. The 25-year-old Cruz has never played in a professional game in center field before. If the Pirates choose to ease Cruz into his new position, on days he's not in center field, he's expected to serve as the designated hitter.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is back in the starting lineup on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park, serving as the designated hitter and batting second against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will start at the 6 and bat leadoff for the Bucs. Fantasy managers have to be thrilled that Cruz is back in action after he was pulled early in Friday's series-opening win over the M's when he tweaked his left ankle running the bases in the seventh inning. The 25-year-old's injury obviously wasn't very serious, and he should remain in starting fantasy lineups everywhere. The Dominican shortstop has been excellent since the All-Star break and even better in August, going 16-for-42 (.381) with a homer, four doubles, seven RBI and three stolen bases in 11 games. Cruz has never faced Castillo in his career.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) was removed from Friday night's win early over the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park due to left-ankle discomfort. Cruz is currently being examined and treated by the medical staff. The 25-year-old appeared to tweak his ankle after hitting a double in the seventh inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa replaced him at shortstop, with Jared Triolo entering the game at second base. Before leaving, Cruz went 1-for-4 with the double, two RBI and a strikeout. Fantasy managers will want to check back for more information on Cruz, who should be considered day-to-day for now. If he's forced to miss extended time due to the ankle injury, Kiner-Falefa would likely become the team's everyday shortstop. Cruz is one of the best young shortstops in the game and entered Friday's contest with a career-high 18 homers, 59 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 107 games.