Oneil Cruz had surgery on his fractured left ankle at Allegheny General Hospital late Sunday night, the Pirates announced on Monday afternoon. They also projected the 24-year-old shortstop's timeline to return at four months, meaning Cruz won't return until after the All-Star break and well into August.
Per the Pirates' release, Dr. Greg Altman and Dr. Darren Frank performed the procedure to stabilize Cruz's fractured fibula and address the injury to the syndesmosis, which is a joint held together by ligaments near the ankle joint, between the shin and outside of the leg.
Cruz injured his ankle during a collision at home plate earlier in the day with White Sox catcher Seby Zavala and had to be helped off the field, unable to put any weight on his left leg. Immediately after the play occurred, Cruz screamed in pain — and the Pirates grew enraged when Zavala began to scream at Cruz.
It was clear from the moment it happened, with Cruz yelling and writhing in distress, that the injury was not minor.
The injury obviously comes as a big blow to the Pirates, who captured a second consecutive season victory to run their record on the year to 6-3. They welcome the defending World Series champions, the Houston Astros, for a three-game set beginning Monday night at PNC Park.
Cruz appeared in nine games before he was hurt, hitting .250 with a home run, four RBIs and three stolen bases. Most impressive might've been his improved plate discipline, with Cruz walking seven times against only eight strikeouts in 40 plate appearances.
Also noticeably better has been Cruz's defense at shortstop. After the Pirates challenged him this winter and throughout spring training to improve his footwork, Cruz committed just one error in nine games. He had 17 in 79 games (77 starts) a season ago.
Replacing Cruz on the active roster will be Mark Mathias, a utility man they recalled Sunday from Triple-A Indianapolis. Mathias, who has never played shortstop but could play second base and allow others to occupy short, has hit .333 with a .926 OPS in nine minor league games thus far.
The top two options at shortstop are likely Rodolfo Castro and Ji Hwan Bae, players who had been operating as Cruz's primary backups. Bae functions well as a leadoff hitter because of his speed. Castro, who's closest to Cruz, has displayed flashes of power.
None of that matters as much as Cruz's health, though. There's no player more exciting on the Pirates than the 6-foot-7 shortstop, who routinely crushes balls that travel long distances and carry high exit velocities. A Statcast darling as a rookie, Cruz has morphed into much more than that this season.
Many predicted this would be a breakout season for Cruz, who talked in spring training about going 30-30 or 40-40, referencing homers and steals. It still could happen. Few players through MLB possess Cruz's unique combination of speed, power and arm strength.
The best the Pirates can hope for here is for Cruz to heal. Not so much quickly but effectively.
