North Shore Nine

So far the Pirates off-season has been a mixed bag. Most of the moves have been underwhelming. It hasn’t been without good news, but the good news has been sparse. Well, over the weekend at PiratesFest we got a bit more of that good news. Oneil Cruz was asked where he is in his recovery and his response was, “All good. 100% now. Everything’s like it’s supposed to be.”

Here’s how Oneil Cruz feels in his own words, as interpreted by Stephen Morales at this year’s PiratesFest: “All good. 100% now. Everything’s like it’s supposed to be.”

After fracturing his left fibula in a collision at home plate when he awkwardly slid into White Sox catcher Seby Zavala, the final thing Cruz needed to do to prove his readiness to himself was slide into bases. But as part of his progression at the Pirates’ academy in the Dominican Republic, Cruz slid while getting game action.

This is very welcome news. There was hope that Cruz would be able to return late in the 2023 season, but in September he was officially ruled out. He has put in work this winter at the Pirates’ academy in the Dominican Republic.

Cruz spent time in the academy working on his sliding, among other baseball activities. He worked out under the watchful eye of Hector Morales, the Pirates’ Director of International Development. “That was my worry, too,” Morales said of Cruz sliding, “but he went right through it. It was like riding a bike.”

A healthy and ready-to-go Oneil Cruz will provide a big boost for the Pirates as they look to build off of the 2023 season. Cruz has been one of the Pirates’ top prospects but saw his first full season cut short with the injury. Cruz was signed by the Dodgers in 2015 and was acquired by the Pirates in 2017 in a trade for Tony Watson.