The Pittsburgh Pirates will be without one of their key players for a very long time due to a serious ankle injury. During the team’s game against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz collided with White Sox catcher Seby Zavala at home plate. Cruz attempted to slide, but his left leg bent awkwardly leading to him laying on the ground in pain. Both benches cleared after Pirates designated hitter Carlos Santana went after Zavala. On Monday, the Pirates announced that Cruz had surgery at Allegheny General Hospital, and he suffered a fractured fibula in addition to ligament damage. He is excepted to miss four months of action.
“The biggest thing for me today was when we FaceTimed him and he smiled,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters on Monday, per MLB.com. “You guys have been around him; that smile is infectious. So, just to see that out of him a little bit, that’s where I’m more concerned. We’re talking about a 24-year-old kid here. … My concern is more about the kid than worrying about a timetable or what’s going on.”
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Cruz has been with the Pirates since making his MLB debut in 2021. He played in 87 games in 2022 and recorded a .233 batting average with a .744 OPS. He also hit 17 home runs with 54 RBIs and stole 10 bases. So far this season, Cruz has played in nine games and posted a .250 batting average with a .750 OPS.
“Obviously, losing Oneil is a blow because he’s a big part of what we do on both sides of the ball,” Shelton said on Sunday. “The flip side of that, because of the depth we’ve created over the last couple years we’re probably in a better spot to handle it than we have been previously.”
The Pirates are off to a solid start this season winning five of their first nine games. They are looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015 when they lost to the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card game. Losing Cruz will give the Pirates their first true test of the 2023 season.
“It gives someone else an opportunity to showcase what they can do, whoever that may be,” Pirates outfielder and 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen said on Sunday. “It gives them an opportunity to get more at-bats under their belt or whatever that it is.”
