Robert Murray FanSided.com has reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates will finally call up shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz on Monday. It is a long-awaited promotion for one of the top prospects in the game. The Pirates had no reason to keep Cruz in the minors, but it appears that the Super Two deadline has passed and the 6'7 hitter will be in a Pirates uniform for the foreseeable future. Just 23 years old, Cruz hit .233 with nine home runs, 35 RBI and 11 stolen bases for Triple-A Indianapolis. Cruz offers both power and speed from the left side of the plate and should be given everyday opportunities for the struggling Pirates. With his ability to help across the board and at a position that doesn't provide much depth, managers should be running to the waiver wire in all formats that he is available.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz could make his 2022 season debut with the Pirates on Friday when they begin a seven-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs. Cruz recently returned to Triple-A Indianapolis after missing some time with an ankle injury, but he's back now and has nine home runs, 33 RBI and 11 stolen bases despite a batting average of just .236 in 49 games for Indianapolis. The Pirates are committed to their youth movement this year during their rebuild, and the 6-foot-7 23-year-old shortstop could be the next prospect -- No. 3 overall in Pittsburgh per MLB Pipeline -- to join the big-league squad this year. Cruz made his major league debut in 2021 and went 3-for-9 with a home run and three RBI in two games.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain. It's a shame as Cruz has been performing well after a slow start. The Pirates have been calling up a lot of their young guys, but for whatever reason have played things slow with their top prospect, Cruz and now it may be longer with his recent injury. More should be known on his timetable over the course of the next couple of days, but it appears that the young talent may have escaped a serious injury. Cruz is hitting .213 with six homeruns, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases for Triple-A Indianapolis, but had a strong month of May after a slow start in April. When healthy and if promoted, Cruz would be worth rostering in all formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz continued to make a case to be promoted to the big leagues with another good performance on Tuesday. The 23-year-old went 1-for-5 for Triple-A Indianapolis with a two-run home run, three RBI and a walk. Cruz had a slow April, but has shown up in May with four home runs, 17 RBI and a two stolen bases. For the season, he is now hitting .197 with five homers, 25 RBI and nine stolen bases. At 6'7, Cruz may ultimately play a different position. Regardless of position, the lefty hitter has shown the promise of one of the best offensive prospects in the game. With not much in his way at the big-league level, it should only be a matter of time before he is in a Pirates uniform. He should be on the radar of managers in all formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz continues to have baseball fans everywhere question why he didn't break camp with the squad to open the 2022 season. Cruz, 23, is one of the top prospects at his position and continued to add to his early season success with a 2-for-3 performance that featured a double and triple in Wednesday's victory for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. With the strong showing, Cruz is now hitting .300 with six runs, two RBI and a pair of stolen bases in just six games. The big left-hander provides plenty of pop to his bat and improved on his plate discipline this past season. That allowed him to hit a career best .310 in 2021 between Double-A and Triple-A with 17 home runs and 19 stolen bases. Shortstop may ultimately not be his main position with his tall frame, but the Pirates are running out of excuses to not promote the youngster. Cruz should be up sooner than later for the Pirates and is worth rostering in all formats when that happens.

The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday and also reassigned left-hander Cam Alldred and right-hander Beau Sulser to minor league camp. Cruz was swinging the bat well in the Grapefruit League, but the team's No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, will begin the 2022 season in the minors. The 23-year-old made it up to the big leagues for two games last year and has only played six games at Triple-A, so it wouldn't hurt for him to get a bit more seasoning on the farm. Barring an injury, Cruz should be back in the majors sooner than later and could see most of the playing time down the stretch over Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz will soon play some outfield in camp, starting with left field. "The fact that PNC plays so big, you'll probably see him in left field first because of how athletic he is. But I think he's athletic enough that he can play any of the three," Shelton said. Cruz has been swinging it early in spring training, but he could still open the season at Triple-A. Outfield eligibility could make him even more intriguing, but the 23-year-old is still likely to see most of his playing time at the 6. Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker could begin the season splitting time for the Pirates at shortstop, but Cruz is easily the most attractive fantasy player of the trio in redraft leagues in 2022.