Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Cruz will head to the bench for the third time in the last five games. The first two times were because a left-handed starter was on the mound, but right-hander Jameson Taillon is drawing the start for the Cubbies on Monday. Cruz has been awful with the bat in the second half of the season. Luckily, his power and speed give him enough upside to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats. Jack Suwinski will take over in center field during Monday's contest.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is on the bench to start Thursday's series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers with left-hander Blake Snell on the mound. Alexander Canario will start in center field and will bat seventh. The Pirates continue to shield Cruz from lefties, as this will be the fifth straight game against them that he has taken a seat. In 118 plate appearances against southpaws in 2025, Cruz is hitting a pathetic .106 (11-for-104) with just one of his 19 home runs on the year and 43 strikeouts. The Dominican is barely hitting over .200 on the year but does have 19 homers, 54 RBI, 60 runs and 36 steals in his 416 at-bats, which continues to make him fantasy relevant in all leagues despite all the swing and miss. Cruz is hitting .123 (8-for-65) with two homers, 10 RBI, two steals and 23 K's in 19 games since Aug. 1.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Tuesday that they reinstated outfielder Oneil Cruz (concussion) from the seven-day concussion injured list and optioned outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. The Pirates have not released their starting lineup yet for Tuesday's contest on the road at Busch Stadium against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals, but we would expect Cruz to be back in there in center field versus right-hander Andre Pallante. The 26-year-old power/speed threat has been out of action for the last two weeks due to a concussion, but he's back now and should be rostered in all fantasy formats despite the fact that he's hitting just north of the Mendoza Line. The Dominican outfielder has hit jut .122 (5-for-41) in 11 games in August, but he's also provided fantasy managers with 18 homers and a league-leading 34 steals on the year.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (concussion) is not returning from the seven-day concussion injured list on Monday for the series opener against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, according to interim manager Don Kelly. The team is taking it day by day with Cruz, but Kelly said that the 26-year-old came out of his rehab assignment over the weekend with Double-A Altoona feeling good. Cruz had a locker in the clubhouse in St. Louis on Monday, so he should come off the IL and play in Tuesday's game. Jack Suwinski is making another start in center field on Monday and will hit seventh against Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy. Cruz is barely hitting over .200 on the year, but he's fantasy relevant in all leagues because of his power speed combination -- he has 18 bombs and a league-high 34 steals in 108 games.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (concussion) started a minor-league rehab assignment at Double-A Altoona on Saturday and went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI triple. General manager Ben Cherington expected Cruz to play again in Altoona on Sunday before flying to St. Louis to rejoin the Pirates for their series against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals that starts on Monday. It means that fantasy managers could have Cruz back in their starting lineups on Monday against Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy. When the 26-year-old returns, he should at least be a regular starter in center field for the Bucs against right-handed pitching. The Dominican is hitting just .207 (81-for-392) on the year, but he also hass 18 homers, 51 RBI, 58 runs and 34 steals. Cruz has gone just 11-for-100 (.110) with one of his 18 homers and 42 K's against southpaws.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (head) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Saturday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Cruz has been on the seven-day concussion injured list since Aug. 13. The hulking slugger got off a to a rough start in August before suffering the injury, as he went 5-for-41 (.122) with one home run, seven RBI, and 15:3 K:BB in 11 games. Cruz is an elite base stealer (34 SBs) who ranks among the best in the league in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel percentage, but he has only managed a .207/.304/.398 line with 18 homers, 51 RBI, and 58 runs scored over 454 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (concussion) has been ramping up his activities of late, according to senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. However, Cruz still isn't ready to come off the seven-day concussion list. "He's making progress and he's improving and he's feeling a lot better," Tomczyk said. The 26-year-old went on the seven-day IL last Wednesday. While he's not ready to return when eligible, it sounds like he might not be far off from a return to the big leagues. Until Cruz comes back, Jack Suwinski should continue to see most of the starts in center field in Pittsburgh. The Dominican outfielder is batting a lowly .207 (81-for-392), but he has still managed to stay fantasy relevant because of his power/speed contributions. Cruz has clubbed 18 home runs, driven in 51, scored 58 runs and stolen a league-high 34 bases in 108 games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that they placed outfielder Oneil Cruz (concussion) on the seven-day concussion injured list and recalled outfielder Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Cruz will miss at least the next week after colliding with teammate Jack Suwinski in the sixth inning of Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Although the Dominican outfielder is batting just over the Mendoza Line on the year, he does have 18 homers, 51 RBI, 58 runs and 34 steals and should remain stashed in all fantasy formats while he recovers. In the meantime, the Pirates will shift Suwinski to center field for Wednesday's series finale in Milwaukee. Alexander Canario will be another option in center for Pittsburgh while Cruz is out. Hopefully, Cruz's break will get him back after track after slashing .188/.245/.341 over the last 30 days.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (head) exited Tuesday's game against the Brewers after a collision in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cruz was replaced by veteran Tommy Pham and is currently undergoing evaluation and treatment from the team's medical staff. The severity of the injury has not yet been disclosed. Cruz is in his fifth season with Pittsburgh and has shown flashes of upside despite an inconsistent year at the plate. Through 108 games, he is slashing .207/.304/.398 with a .702 OPS. With his rare athletic profile and raw power, Cruz remains a key part of the Pirates' long-term plans.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are willing to entertain trade offers for outfielder Oneil Cruz before the July 31 deadline, but they're not likely to deal him, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. While the last-place Pirates are going to sell pieces off in the next week, they're not under any pressure to part with Cruz. He's making a near-minimum salary this year and will be under control via arbitration through 2028. They're content to go forward with the toolsy 26-year-old, who has hit a decent .215/.318/.417 with 16 homers, 39 RBI, 50 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases over 381 plate appearances. With Cruz ranking near the top of the league in average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard-hit rate, and bat speed, there may be more in the tank.

While he did not win, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz drew plenty of attention in Monday's T-Mobile Home Run Derby in Atlanta. The 26-year-old, who is known for impacting the ball harder than almost anyone, led the first round with 21 HR. This included a 513-foot blast hit at 118 MPH. The shot tied the record for the longest homer hit in the Derby outside of Coors Field. He matched up against eventual winner Cal Raleigh in the semifinals and fell 18-13. Even so, Cruz hit plenty of baseballs very hard and very far, breaking the Pirates' franchise record for most home runs in the Derby. In the context of everyday games, Cruz has had a middling season. He has accumulated plenty of counting stats with 16 HR, 49 runs scored, 37 RBI, and 29 stolen bases, but has managed a pedestrian .212/.319/.414 slash line in 360 plate appearances. Fantasy managers may be willing to live with his lower batting averages given his electrifying power-speed combination, and he has plenty of room to regress in the second half.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (hip) is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. The Pirates will hold Cruz out of this contest after he exited on Saturday due to a hip flexor issue. The assumption is that the Pirates are just taking the cautious approach with this being the final game before the All-Star break. Jack Suwinski will cover center field and bat sixth during Sunday's game. The hope is that Cruz can still participate in the Home Run Derby, but that decision will likely be made closer to the event.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is not in his team's lineup for their Monday matchup against the Kansas City Royals and left-handed starter Noah Cameron. In 343 plate appearances so far this season, Cruz has hit .203 with 15 home runs, 47 runs scored, 35 RBI, and 28 stolen bases. His numbers are significantly worse against left-handed pitching, as he's hit .117 with just one home run and 35 strikeouts in 89 plate appearances. The uber-talented Cruz continues to provide fantasy value via home runs and stolen bases, but his 32.9% strikeout rate holds down his upside. Alexander Canario will take his place in center field on Monday against Kansas City.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz has been in a slump recently and was dropped in the batting order. He fell to sixth in the order on Sunday, but maybe that helped spark his bat. Cruz hit a two-run home run off right-hander Frankie Montas in the first inning. He would hit another two-run shot in the seventh inning for his first multi-hit game in nearly a month. Cruz finished this game 2-for-4 with two homers, four RBI, and two runs scored in the blowout win over the New York Mets. It has been a struggle at times with Cruz, but fantasy managers should continue to stick with him.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is on the bench for Friday's series opener at PNC Park against the visiting New York Mets. Alexander Canario is starting in center field for the Bucs and will hit eighth against Mets left-hander David Peterson. Not only has Cruz been slumping at the plate, but he was pulled from the game earlier this week after not running out a double-play ground ball. In 21 games in June, the 26-year-old Dominican has gone 12-for-81 (.148) with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, eight steals, 10 walks and 32 strikeouts in 93 trips to the plate. He has only two hits in his last 31 at-bats with 12 K's. Cruz is barely hitting over the Mendoza Line in 264 at-bats in 2025, but he does still have 13 long balls, 42 runs and a league-high 26 stolen bases, making him a must-start in fantasy amidst his struggles. Canario is hitless in three career at-bats against Peterson and is a low-upside DFS sleeper.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is being dropped to fifth in the batting order for Wednesday's series finale against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. It comes after Cruz was pulled from Tuesday's loss after not running out a double-play grounder in the seventh inning. Cruz claims he lost track of the outs. Manager Don Kelly cited Cruz's "energy and effort going down the line" for why he was pulled. The 26-year-old has hit just .156 (12-for-77) with 31 strikeouts in the month of June despite having a .911 OPS in early May. He's now hitting .208/.321/.404 with 13 homers, 31 RBI and 26 steals in 71 games. Although Cruz is currently slumping, he's still an everyday fantasy asset in regular leagues. In DFS, though, managers may want to stay away while he's slumping against a young rookie pitcher who has looked unhittable in his first two MLB starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of his team's lineup for Thursday's matinee of their doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. Rookie teammate Billy Cook will operate center field and bat ninth in his place. Cruz was scheduled for a day off on Wednesday, but inclement weather forced a postponement, so he'll sit out the game a day later. It's just a regular day off for him, as he has been absent from the starting nine just once since May 19. Despite a paltry .223/.344/.442 triple slash on the season, the 26-year-old holds the best quality of contact metrics in the league, and is underperforming his xBA (.246) and xSLG (.501) by a good margin.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game at Comerica Park against a tough left-hander. Outfield prospect Billy Cook will make the start in center field and hit ninth against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. Cruz could use the day off after going 10-for-50 (.200) with a homer, four RBI, seven steals, nine walks and 20 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances in 14 games so far in the month of June. The former shortstop hasn't hit for average (.223) but has 13 long balls, 30 RBI, 40 runs scored and a league-leading 25 stolen bases. The 26-year-old has also struck out a league-high 91 times in his 279 trips to the plate in his fifth year in the majors. Fantasy managers will want to avoid Cook as a deep sleeper in DFS in what will be just his 17th big-league game.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is not in the lineup Saturday as the Bucs continue a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It's his first day off since May 19. Alexander Canario will shift from left to center to replace Cruz, while Tommy Pham will play left. Second baseman Nick Gonzales will slot into Cruz's leadoff spot in the lineup. The lefty-hitting Cruz has been highly productive with a .230/.353/.465 line, 12 homers, 28 RBI, and 22 stolen bases over 241 plate appearances, but he has done the vast majority of that damage against right-handers. The Phillies are starting a tough lefty, Ranger Suarez, on Saturday. Cruz has a paltry .532 OPS with one HR in 57 at-bats versus southpaws this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz had another productive night Wednesday in the team's 3-0 victory against the Houston Astros. Cruz finished 2-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases, giving him 22 steals on the season. He leads the majors in SBs and has already tied the career-best mark he set last year over 146 games. Along with his prowess on the bases, Cruz has notched a sturdy .827 OPS with 12 homers, 26 RBI, and 35 runs scored in 232 plate appearances. However, Cruz has tallied just seven hits and one HR in 52 at-bats versus left-handed pitchers this year. That's not ideal going into Thursday's showdown with Astros southpaw Framber Valdez.