Oneil Cruz's presence is undeniably substantial, from his towering stature to the impressive exit velocities generated by his bat. However, this Spring Training, the focus for the Pirates revolves around the status of his left ankle.
“I put in a lot of work in the offseason and right after I got hurt,” Cruz emphasized through team interpreter Stephen Morales. “You’re trying your best and your hardest to get back on the field as soon as possible. I put in a lot of work to be where I’m at right now.”
The previous season saw Cruz's aspirations of a 30-homer, 30-stolen base campaign curtailed to just nine games due to a left fibula fracture in a home plate collision. Despite optimistic initial reports, setbacks ultimately concluded his season prematurely.
Now, Cruz asserts that he is fully recovered, practicing at Pirate City without restrictions. While not at full speed, his movements at shortstop during drills are clean, marking him as "full-go" for the upcoming season.
Unlike the past, Cruz has narrowed his focus to a singular goal, emphasizing, “After the surgery and stuff like that, my main goal is to stay healthy through the whole year. I know the other stuff will come.”
With Pittsburgh's shortstop position posting a -1.1 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last season, the lowest in the Majors according to FanGraphs, and a collective .626 OPS ranking 26th, Cruz's return carries significant weight. The hope is that a healthy Cruz can transform a previous weakness into a formidable strength for the Pirates.
“Adding an impact player back in the middle of the diamond, that’s something that’s definitely going to benefit us,” stated manager Derek Shelton.
General manager Ben Cherington acknowledges Cruz's need for gradual recovery after a major injury, expressing excitement for the opportunity ahead. The Pirates are working to provide Cruz with extra reps in camp, including private infield work and additional live batting practice to regain timing.
“[We’re] not expecting him to be anybody but himself,” Cherington affirmed. “He missed a lot of time. He's coming off a major injury. We understand the game's hard. He's going to need some reps, he's going to need to get back into game activity, get back into competition. We're so excited he'll have the opportunity to do that.”
Cruz's mental hurdle of running, a setback in his recovery last year, has been overcome, positioning him to compete once again. Despite the challenges, Cruz's perspective on the game has evolved after a year of observation.
“As someone who's played the game his whole life, if you take a year away, [you hope he learns about] just the appreciation of the game,” Shelton reflected. “I think we saw that, especially late in the year when he started to be part of the team again.”
Even absent from the lineup last year, the Pirates made significant progress, winning 14 more games than in 2022. As they aim for further improvement, Cruz is poised to play a pivotal role.
“Me being in the lineup will help the team a lot,” Cruz asserted. “Last year, I missed it, and I know I was missed by the team not being in the lineup. I know I can contribute a lot to the team and get more wins, that’s for sure.”
