Pirates host the Cardinals to begin 3-game series
The Pittsburgh Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals to begin a three-game seriesJULY 22 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
ONEIL CRUZ #15 - SHORTSTOP - PITTSBURGH PIRATES
21 HR •
76 RBI •
.259 AVG
21 HR
76 RBI
.259 AVG
Stays hot in Saturday's win Cruz went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Phillies.
Impact The young shortstop carries the Pirates' offense, with his two-run homer in the eighth inning off Matt Strahm giving his club some valuable insurance. Cruz has collected multiple hits in three straight games and driven in at least one run in four straight, and he's slashing .348/.380/.652 through 50 plate appearances in July with five doubles, three homers, a steal, eight runs and 14 RBI. Cruz also has a 2:16 BB:K on the month, but as long as he's crushing the ball when he does make contact, he'll be a valuable fantasy asset.
JULY 21 • ROTOWIRE
Pirates host the Phillies on home winning streak
The Pittsburgh Pirates, on a three-game home winning streak, host the Philadelphia PhilliesJULY 21 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ortiz cruises through 7 innings, Cruz has 3 RBIs as Pirates win 6th straight, 4-1 over Phillies
Luis Ortiz pitched seven shutout innings, Oneil Cruz had a home run and three RBIs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates stretched their winning streak to six games with a 4-1 victory over t...JULY 21 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Two doubles, three RBI in win Cruz went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 8-7 win over the Phillies.
Impact Cruz got the Pirates on the board with an RBI double in the first inning. He'd add another RBI in the seventh before driving in a third run in the ninth with a fielder's choice that tied the game 7-7. The 25-year-old Cruz picked up where he left off before the All-Star break -- he's gone 16-for-45 (.356) over his last 12 games with seven extra-base hits and 13 RBI in that span. The shortstop is now slashing .252/.304/.447 on the season with 14 homers, 47 RBI, 43 runs scored and seven steals across 86 games.
JULY 20 • ROTOWIRE
Two doubles, three RBI in win Cruz went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 8-7 win over the Phillies.
Impact Cruz got the Pirates on the board with an RBI double in the first inning. He'd add another RBI in the seventh before driving in a third run in the ninth with a fielder's choice that tied the game 7-7. The 25-year-old Cruz picked up where he left off before the All-Star break -- he's gone 16-for-45 (.356) over his last 12 games with seven extra-base hits and 13 RBI in that span. The shortstop is now slashing .252/.304/.447 on the season with 14 homers, 47 RBI, 43 runs scored and seven steals across 86 games.
JULY 20 • ROTOWIRE
Nick Gonzales hits winning single in 9th, Pirates rally for 8-7 win over Phillies
Nick Gonzales hit an RBI single in the ninth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied twice from three-run deficits for an 8-7 win over the Philadelphia PhilliesJULY 20 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pirates' Oneil Cruz Laces Jaw-Dropping 120.5 MPH Double vs. Phillies An absolute missile from Oneil Cruz.
JULY 20 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Phillies visit the Pirates to begin 3-game series
The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Philadelphia Phillies to begin a three-game seriesJULY 19 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Picking up RBI pace Cruz went 0-for-4 with two RBI on Saturday against the White Sox.
Impact Cruz went hitless but drove in a pair of runs on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly. Across his last 29 games, Cruz has 23 RBI --- over half of his total for the season. In that same span, he's also maintained a .260 average with seven home runs and three stolen bases.
JULY 14 • ROTOWIRE
Pirates bring 1-0 series advantage over White Sox into game 2
The Pittsburgh Pirates bring a 1-0 lead into the next game of the series against the Chicago White SoxJULY 13 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Out of lineup Friday Cruz is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox.
Impact The 25-year-old returned to the lineup Thursday after sitting the previous two games due to hamstring soreness, and he's back to the bench for Friday's contest. There's been no report that Cruz has aggravated the injury, so the Pirates may simply be exercising caution just ahead of the All-Star break. Jared Triolo is starting at shortstop and batting seventh Friday.
JULY 12 • ROTOWIRE
Back in lineup Cruz (hamstring) will start at shortstop and bat third Thursday against the Brewers.
Impact Cruz missed two games after making an early exit from Monday's contest due to hamstring soreness, but the issue appears to have subsided Thursday. Since the beginning of July, the 25-year-old has gone 8-for-24 with two homers and five RBI over seven games.
JULY 11 • ROTOWIRE
Sitting again Wednesday Cruz (hamstring) isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
Impact Cruz will be missing his second start in a row Wednesday after being pulled from Monday's game due to hamstring soreness. Jared Triolo will pick up another start at shortstop as a result, batting ninth.
JULY 10 • ROTOWIRE
Sitting down Tuesday Cruz isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Impact Cruz made an early exit from Monday's game against the Mets due to hamstring tightness, and he'll now miss a start Tuesday as a result of the injury. Jared Triolo will fill in at shortstop and bat eighth.
JULY 9 • ROTOWIRE
Jason Mackey: Oneil Cruz in the Home Run Derby? It'd be an incredible sight There’s no guarantee it’ll happen, but Oneil Cruz participating in the Home Run Derby would be fascinating to see.
JULY 8 • POST-GAZETTE.COM
Tending to hamstring injury Pirates manager Derek Shelton disclosed that Cruz was removed from Monday's 8-2 win over the Mets in the bottom of the eighth inning due to his hamstring tightening up when he roun...
Impact Cruz went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run -- his 14th of the season and an additional run scored before exiting the contest. After reaching on a base hit in his final at-bat in the bottom of the sixth, Cruz apparently tweaked his hamstring either while advancing to second on Rowdy Tellez's infield single or while coming around to score on Nick Gonzales' double. Cruz played the next two innings in the field before he was replaced when his next turn in the batting order came up in the eighth, due to what Shelton said was an "abundance of caution." Based on Shelton's description, Cruz might have been dealing with cramping rather than a hamstring strain, but fantasy managers will still want to keep close tabs on the shortstop's status heading into Tuesday's series opener in Milwaukee.
JULY 8 • ROTOWIRE
Slugs 14th homer Cruz went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and an additional run scored in Monday's 8-2 win versus the Mets.
Impact The Pittsburgh shortstop smashed a 431-foot, two-run blast off Christian Scott in the fourth inning to open the game's scoring. It marked Cruz's second homer of July, as he's batting .333 (8-for-24) with four runs scored and five RBI across seven games this month so far. Overall, the 25-year-old is slashing .247/.303/.444 with 40 runs scored and 41 RBI in 330 total plate appearances.
JULY 8 • ROTOWIRE
Taking seat against lefty Sunday Cruz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
Impact The Pirates will give the lefty-hitting Cruz the afternoon off Sunday while southpaw Sean Manaea takes the hill for the Mets. Jared Triolo will check in at shortstop for Cruz, who had started in each of the previous six games while going 8-for-22 with two home runs, one double, three walks, one stolen base, five RBI and three runs.
JULY 7 • ROTOWIRE
Picks up seventh steal Cruz went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a strikeouts in a 3-2 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.
Impact Cruz reached base on a single in the first and proceeded to steal second but failed to score. Cruz doesn't run often, but he's successful when he does, as he's only been caught stealing once in 12 attempts since the beginning of 2023. The 25-year-old is slashing .240/.294/.425 with 12 homers, 37 RBI, and seven steals this season.
JULY 4 • ROTOWIRE
Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz hit RBI singles in 10th that lift Pirates past Cardinals 5-4
Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz hit run-scoring singles on consecutive pitches in the 10th inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4JULY 4 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Daily Dinger: Best MLB Home Run Picks Today (Oneil Cruz's Home Run Prop has Immense Betting Value) MLB home run prop bets for Tuesday, July 2nd, including why its Oneil Cruz’s time to get hot.
JULY 2 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Launches 12th homer Cruz went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a walk and a strikeout in Sunday's 4-2 win over Atlanta.
Impact Cruz hit a 452-foot missile off Spencer Schwellenbach in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a lead they wouldn't relinquish. It was the third longest homer of his career, and it had an exit velocity of 117.3 MPH, which is also the third hardest of his career. There have been five home runs with exit velocities of 117 or more this season, and Cruz has two of them. The 25-year-old has three long balls over his last seven games, and he's up to 12 homers, 36 RBI, 6 steals and 36 runs for the season.
JUNE 30 • ROTOWIRE
Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez homer in 5th as the Pirates avoid sweep and beat the Braves 4-2
Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez hit two-run homers in the fifth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 to avoid a three-game sweepJUNE 30 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pirates' Oneil Cruz deposits homer into Allegheny on the fly in win, 6th time in PNC Park history The Pirates’ 6-foot-7 shortstop has already provided his share of eye-popping moments from the batter’s box in 2024. There was the time he.....
JUNE 23 • POST-GAZETTE.COM
