Oneil Cruz
Breakdown
Performance
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June 10, 2026
Placed on IL
The Pirates placed Cruz on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Monday, with non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand.
Analysis
Cruz sustained the injury during a hard slide in Saturday's contest and hasn't played since. He'll land on the injured list now that he's been confirmed to be dealing with multiple fractures, and the Pirates expect him to be sidelined for about a month, per Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com. Billy Cook was recalled from Triple-A to replenish Pittsburgh's outfield depth.
June 10, 2026
Out of lineup due to hand issue
Cruz (hand) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
Analysis
Cruz will remain on the bench for a third straight game while he continues to experience discomfort stemming from a cut to his left hand, which he sustained during a hard slide in Atlanta over the weekend. Jake Mangum will pick up a start in center field in place of Cruz, who is being viewed as day-to-day while he continues to receive treatment for the injury.
June 9, 2026
Scratched from lineup
Cruz (hand) was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Analysis
Cruz hasn't played since Saturday due to a cut on his hand, and although he was originally expected to return to the starting nine Tuesday, the Pirates have decided to instead keep him on the bench for another game. Jake Mangum will fill in as Pittsburgh's center fielder and bat seventh.
June 9, 2026
Ready to go Tuesday
Cruz (hand) is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Analysis
Cruz was held out of Sunday's lineup due to a cut on his hand that he suffered when he slid into home plate during Saturday's matchup against Atlanta. The 27-year-old has slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 homers, 44 RBI and 21 steals on the campaign. Cruz will play center field and bat sixth Tuesday.
June 9, 2026
Considered day-to-day
Cruz suffered a cut on his hand during Saturday's game against Atlanta and is being considered day-to-day, Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan reports.
Analysis
Cruz was held out of the lineup Sunday after suffering a cut on his hand while sliding into home plate. However, the club is confident that the star outfielder will be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, and he'll presumably be re-evaluated before Tuesday's series opener against the Dodgers to determine if he can be penciled into the starting nine.
June 7, 2026
Not starting Sunday
Cruz isn't in Pittsburgh's starting lineup for Sunday's matchup against Atlanta.
Analysis
Cruz has started June in fine form, posting a .591 OBP with a homer, two stolen bases and seven walks through five games, but he'll get a breather Sunday. Jake Mangum is starting in center field for the Pirates.
June 4, 2026
Reaches 20-steal mark
Cruz went 2-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's 11-9 loss to the Astros.
Analysis
Cruz went 1-for-2 on stolen-base attempts in this contest, with his successful swipe being his 20th of the year. He's logged four of those thefts over his last eight games, going 9-for-27 (.333) at the plate with three home runs, 10 RBI and seven walks in that span. The speedster is now batting .263 with an .816 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs scored and 10 doubles over 60 contests. Cruz is tracking toward a career year despite also leading the majors with 94 strikeouts.
