Oneil Cruz was not in the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup for the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 23, marking just the fourth time this season he did not start.
The absence punctuated a steep drop in production: in his past nine games Cruz slashed.189/.268/.243 for a.512 OPS, collecting seven hits in 37 at-bats with four walks and 18 strikeouts. Over his last three games he had one hit in 13 at-bats; over six games he had four hits in 25 at-bats.
Those recent numbers contrast with what Cruz supplied through the end of April. In 30 games he hit.256/.321/.512 with a.833 OPS, producing five doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He was the first player to reach the 10-10 club this season. In May he added one home run and six stolen bases.
The pattern of missed starts this year has been irregular. Cruz did not start against the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 28 after struggles in center field on Opening Day. The Pirates scratched him from the lineup 10 minutes before first pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25 because of an illness, and he did not start the following day against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. May 23 represented the fourth non-start of the season.
Strikeouts have been a persistent problem through the stretch. Cruz led Major League Baseball with 80 strikeouts, and in May alone he struck out 32 times in 19 games. He also had no stolen bases in his past six contests, a notable drop from his early-season burst on the basepaths.
The tension is clear in the numbers: an early-season profile that combined power and speed has been undercut by a surge in strikeouts and a suddenly brittle batting line. His power totals and stolen-base production through April suggested an offensive core piece; his.512 OPS across nine recent games and the month-to-date strikeout spike point the other way.
What happens next is consequential for the Pirates' lineup construction. Cruz’s absence at Rogers Centre follows a small but meaningful string of missed starts this season — some triggered by defensive struggles, one by illness — and comes while his contact and slugging have cooled. Whether the team treats May 23 as a short-term pause or the beginning of a larger role adjustment will shape the roster decisions heading into the summer.
For Cruz, the moment is simple: his early-season production put him among the club’s most impactful players; his recent slide has handed the front office and managers a decision. The next starts and the next box scores will determine whether he returns to the form that produced nine homers and 10 steals in 30 games or whether the Pirates begin to change how they deploy him.
