Oneil Cruz came into the Pirates' clubhouse at PNC Park Saturday draped in two towels, moving with the aid of two crutches. He doesn't always need them to move around, but they're still there. So is the walking boot for his left ankle that still waits for him in his locker, though the hope is that he will no longer need it by next week.
He's still hobbling but on the mend, with August still being the projected return. When he gets back though, the hope is that he'll be even stronger.
"Yeah, it can be possible," Cruz said via coach and interpreter Stephen Morales. "I'm working for that and we'll see. Hopefully, that's the case."
Saturday is Cruz's bobblehead night at PNC Park, the first of his major-league career. He approves of the design. "They did it really good," he would say, flashing a wide grin. "Ugly, like me."
He may be down, but he certainly isn't out. He's been around the team for home games plenty over the last month, often joking with teammates and staff members and flashing that million dollar smile.
"In terms of his mindset, he’s great," Derek Shelton said. "He’s smiling, he wants to walk by my office and come sit down and now that he’s out of his crutches, it’s a lot easier for him to do it. He’s been in great spirits. It’s been great to see and fun to have him around.”
In a perfect world, Cruz would man shortstop as the Pirates play a crucial divisional game against the Cardinals. That obviously isn't the case. On April 9, Cruz slid into home plate and had an awkward collision with White Sox catcher Seby Zavala and fractured his left ankle.
"In the heat of the game, I just slid," Cruz said. "After the slide, I did not feel at the moment that I was hurt. When I started feeling something in my leg, that’s when I found out."
It was supposed to be his first full big-league season, but instead, Cruz will surely play fewer games than he did as a rookie last year.
"You get hurt and it's part of the game," Cruz said. "Like I said earlier, you can't control that and injuries happen in this game. I've tried to stay positive all the time and do my thing to get back at it."
While the injury was worse than initially believed and the recovery window longer because of damage to the syndesmosis, it is not a season-ending injury. That's a relief for him, and while there likely won't be a firm timetable for his return until he starts doing baseball activities, there should be more baseball played in 2023.
"Whenever they [the medical team] think it’s going to be the time, it’ll be the time. I’ll be there," Cruz said.
Until then, the Pirates are trying to stay in the mix for the National League Central.
Even in Cruz's absence, the Pirates have gotten good offensive production from the shortstop position, mainly from Tucupita Marcano and Rodolfo Castro. Since April 10, the day Cruz went on the injured list, Pirate shortstops have combined for a .736 OPS, the ninth-best in baseball. While it's not up to what Cruz could potentially do -- or at level of the 30 home run, 30 stolen base goal he set for himself back in spring training -- steady production out of the position has helped the Pirates weather the storm without him and entering Saturday with a 29-27 record.
And he's very aware of that record. He hasn't missed a game since the injury.
"I watch every game on TV," Cruz said. "I miss it, for sure, but it makes me happy to see my guys out there competing and playing well."
The Pirates could certainly use him again, but both sides know they have to be patient. Cruz's wife and children are up to help him pass the time. Conversations with friends like Castro are often about other topics than just baseball.
The return is likely still months away, but when it is, Cruz isn't going to hold back. He thinks he can come back stronger. Why not show off that strength?
"I should be good when I get out there," Cruz said. "I should be 100 percent when I get out there. I'm not going to hesitate. I'm just going to go out there and do my best."
