\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType “:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:””Having an impact player back in the middle of the diamond is definitely a positive for us,” manager Derek said. Shelton said. n\nIn some ways, Cruz's return is like him being one of the biggest additions to the team this winter. \n\n“\\[We’re\\] I didn't expect him to be anyone other than himself,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “He missed a lot of time. He's recovering from a major injury. We understand the game is difficult. He's going to need some practices and a return to competitive action. , he will need to return to competition.\n\nThe Pirates are working to get Cruz extra reps in camp before the game begins on Saturday. He will be working privately with bench coach Don Kelly. Shelton said Cruz is going to get more reps in live batting practice to get his timing back. From a mental standpoint, he's clear. The biggest hurdle he had to overcome was getting back to running, which caused the first notable setback in his recovery last year. But now that Mr. Cruz has checked that box, he's ready to compete again. We are in a position to do so.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”
Mitch Keller vs. O'Neal Crews Live AB, if it's of interest to yinz pic.twitter.com/qtGmgBf7oS
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) February 17, 2024
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Everyone is smiling 😁 pic.twitter.com/lkeUXKdk3p
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 15, 2024
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After his breakout in '22, the star shortstop was limited to nine games in 2023.
February 19, 2024
BRADENTON, Fla. — It may feel as if almost everything about O'Neal Cruz is important. his height. The exit velocity of the ball coming off his bat.
And his left ankle could be the biggest story for the Pirates this spring training.
“I put in a lot of effort in the offseason and right after the injury,” Cruz said through team interpreter Steven Morales. “You're doing everything you can to get back on the field as soon as possible. I've put in a lot of effort to be here now.”
A year ago, Cruz made it clear that one of his goals was to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases, if not 40-40. He certainly had potential. In the end, what he lacked was enough playing time. A collision at home plate fractured his left fibula, and the season was shortened to just nine games. Initial reports were optimistic that he would be able to return before the end of the year, but setbacks continued to slow his recovery until the season officially ended.
Cruz says he's 100% now. He continues to practice indefinitely in Pirate City. Although far from full speed in his practices, he moves cleanly as a shortstop. he is perfectly fine.
But unlike a year ago, he has only one goal.
“My main goal is to stay healthy year-round, after all the surgeries and things like that,” Cruz said. “I know there are others coming.”
There will be a lot of activity from Cruz this season. According to FanGraphs, Pittsburgh's WAR-1.1 at the shortstop position last season was the lowest in the majors, and the position's .626 total OPS ranked 26th.
Expectations are high, but it stands to reason that the biggest weakness in the Pirates' lineup a year ago could potentially become one of their biggest strengths with a healthy Cruz.
“Having an impact player back in the middle of the diamond is definitely a positive for us,” manager Derek Shelton said.
In some ways, Cruz's return is one of the team's biggest additions this winter.
“[We’re] I didn't expect him to be anyone other than himself,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “He missed a lot of time. He is recovering from a major injury. We understand that the game is difficult. He will need some practices and will be able to return to competitive action. , will need to return to competition. We're very excited for him to have that opportunity.”
The Pirates are working to get Cruz extra reps in camp before Saturday's game. He has been spotted doing some private infield work with bench coach Don Kelly. Shelton said Cruz plans to do more reps in live batting practice to get his timing back. The biggest hurdle he had to clear from a mental standpoint was running again. That caused the first notable setback in his recovery last year. But Cruz has checked that box, so he's in a position to compete again.
Cruz had a chance to watch the game from a different perspective last year. Now he gets to do it. After all, there's a difference between losing his season and being injured for a year.
“As someone who has played games all my life, after a year, [you hope he learns about] Just evaluating the game,” Shelton said. “I think we saw him being able to functionally take ground balls and move around, especially at the end of the year when he started to be a part of the team again. It's tough going through rehab, especially for big chunks of time. It's tough for a young player who's missing that, so you could see that smile starting to come back a little bit.”
Even without Cruz last year, the Pirates took a big step forward, winning 14 more games than in 2022. They will need to make a similar leap this year if they want to be favorites.
If that's the case, it's safe to assume that Cruise will have to be a big reason why.
“Having me in the lineup will be a huge help to the team,” Cruz said. “Last year I missed it and I know the team was sad not being in the lineup. I'm sure I can contribute a lot to the team and get more wins. .”
