Cruz went 1-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a stolen base Wednesday against the Marlins.
Cruz provided an offensive spark early in the game, singling to lead off the first inning before stealing second base. He then reached base on a walk with one out in the fifth inning and was driven in on a three-run home run by Andrew McCutchen. Cruz appeared in eight games during Pittsburgh's homestand and hit .241 with three RBI, four runs scored and four stolen bases. He now has swiped 24 bags on the season, good for second in the league.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Beginning on bench Saturday
Rotowire
Cruz is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Philadelphia.
Cruz's last day off was May 19 -- since then he started 16 straight games and posted a .902 OPS with four home runs and six stolen bases, albeit with a 34.7 percent strikeout rate. The exciting center fielder will rest to begin Saturday's matchup while Alexander Canario starts in center. Meanwhile, second baseman Nick Gonzales is sliding up to the leadoff spot typically occupied by Cruz.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Swipes two bags in loss
Rotowire
Cruz went 0-for-2 with three walks, two stolen bases and one run scored in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Padres.
With the pair of steals, Cruz is the third player this year to reach 20 thefts. He's done so on 21 attempts, and he's now just two steals shy of matching his total from last year. The 26-year-old is rebounding from a rough stretch in early May, as he's gone 11-for-44 (.250) with eight extra-base hits and seven walks over his last 11 games. Overall, he isn't batting that well (.227), but he's maintained an .829 OPS with 12 home runs, 26 RBI, 35 runs scored, eight doubles and one triple across 52 contests, primarily as the Pirates' leadoff hitter.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Homers in win
Rotowire
Cruz went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 10-1 win over the Diamondbacks.
Cruz drove in a run in the fifth inning and then put an exclamation point on things with a home run in the eighth that came off the bat at 109 mph. Over his past 10 games, the 26-year-old has hit safely seven times while collecting four home runs, eight RBI, nine runs scored and two steals. On the season, he's slashing .230/.352/.489 with 12 homers, 26 RBI, 32 runs scored and 18 stolen bases across 210 plate appearances.
Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk Sunday against the Brewers.
Cruz led off the third inning with his 11th homer of the season and third in a four-game set against Milwaukee. Sunday's shot was particularly impressive, as it was the hardest hit ball in the Statcast era at 122.9 mph. Cruz is hitting only .210 across 17 games in May, though he has 12 runs scored, seven RBI and six stolen bases in that span.
Cruz went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs during Friday's 6-5 win over the Brewers.
Cruz opened the scoring Friday in the third inning with a 442-foot blast into center field that left his bat at 118 mph. He then came up clutch with the Buccos down a run in the ninth by hitting another solo shot 427 feet into right-center field. The 26-year-old's power display elevated his OPS from .783 to .822, and he now has four hits in his last three games after going 0-for-15 across his prior five contests.
Cruz went 0-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and two stolen bases Tuesday against the Reds.
Cruz was out of the lineup for five straight games due to a back injury last week, and he has yet to record a hit in 11 at-bats since returning. Tuesday also marked the first time he reached base in that span. While his performance has been poor lately, his willingness to run suggests he's starting to feel healthier.
Cruz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.
Cruz was recently held out of the lineup for four straight games due to back soreness, but he rejoined the starting nine for the final two contests of the weekend series versus the Phillies, going 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts. With lefty Nick Lodolo on the bump for Cincinnati, the lefty-hitting Cruz was unlikely to get back on track Monday, so he'll get a day off. Alexander Canario will spell Cruz in center field, while third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes settles in as the Pirates' leadoff hitter.
Cruz (back) entered Friday's game against the Phillies in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter and struck out.
Cruz made his first appearance since May 10 due to lower-back tightness. He was originally deemed day-to-day, and he may be ready to re-enter the lineup Saturday after sitting for the start of the last five contests.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Back in starting nine
Rotowire
Cruz (back) will start in center field and bat leadoff against the Phillies on Saturday.
Cruz missed five consecutive starts due to back soreness but appeared as a pinch hitter in Friday's contest, and he's now officially been given the green light to resume duties as Pittsburgh's starting center fielder. Since the beginning of May, the 26-year-old is slashing .188/.366/.219 with two RBI and five runs scored across 41 plate appearances.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 6-7, 220 lbs
Birthplace: Nizao, Dominican Republic
Age: 26
Experience: 4
Bats/Throws: L, R
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