Pirates' Oneil Cruz Suffers Injury vs. Royals
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz left Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals with an ankle injury.
Cruz was pulled during the seventh inning after slipping in the outfield earlier in the contest and was replaced by Michael A. Taylor. He went 1-for-2 on the day with a walk.
Manager Derek Shelton told reporters that it was a precautionary move, stating that his ankle began stiffening up and limited his mobility to the point that the team preferred playing things safe instead of testing Cruz's limits.
"Was able to run, he made a really good base-running play later in the game but it just stiffened up," Shelton said. "We see that happen at times and it got to the point where it just stiffened up and he didn't think he could move as effectively as we'd want so we just made the change."
There doesn't appear to be much concern regarding Cruz's long-term availability, though it's unknown if he will be in the starting lineup to begin the Pirates' four-game road set against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
Cruz has had a tough time adjusting to center field since transitioning there in late August. Traditionally a shortstop, he has posted -4 Defensive Runs Saved, 1 Out Above Average and a -1.4 Ultimate Zong Rating over 14 starts and 122 innings at his new position this season.
Cruz has all of the necessary tools to blossom into an above-average defender in due time, and it's not surprising to see him take his lumps in center early on. The hope is that he can continue to progress as the regular season comes to a close and be much-improved by the time spring training rolls around in February.
Through 135 games this year, Cruz has hit .268/.326/.459 with 19 home runs, 74 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.
JACK MARKOWSKI