Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is getting the day off on Tuesday against the New York Mets. In his absence, Alika Williams will get the nod at shortstop and will hit in the nine-hole against Mets veteran left-hander Jose Quintana. Cruz will get a little breather against the left-handed hurler after going hitless in his last nine at-bats with seven strikeouts in the last two contests. The 25-year-old Dominican is now hitting .232 (16-for-69) on the year with three home runs, six RBI, one steal and eight runs scored in his first 17 games of 2024. Williams, 25, lacks power and will be a low-upside deep sleeper pick for DFS lineups on Tuesday night. He's hit just .212 (25-for-118) with no homers and eight RBI in 51 MLB games to date going back to last season.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is getting a breather on Tuesday as the team takes on the visiting Detroit Tigers. With Cruz starting on the bench, Alika Williams will man shortstop for the Bucs and bat ninth in the order against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize, with infielder Jared Triolo in the leadoff spot. This will be the 25-year-old Cruz's second day off of the 2024 season. Cruz is a must-start fantasy asset anytime he's in the lineup, and he's off to a good start this year after missing most of last year due to an ankle injury. In his first 11 games, Cruz is batting .304 (14-for-46) with two home runs, a double, four RBI, a stolen base and seven runs scored in 49 plate appearances. Triolo will be worth a look as a low-cost DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot with Cruz out on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz launched his second home run of the season in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, adding two singles in the defeat. Cruz's long ball was a 395-foot missile to deep right center to get Pittsburgh on the board in the fifth inning. Now slashing .344/.382/.531 with two homers and three RBI over 32 at-bats this year, the towering 25-year-old infielder continues to flash the intrigue that makes him such an exciting fantasy prospect. Cruz slashed .261/.333/.739 with seven big flies and 14 RBI during 46 spring training ABs, and that momentum appears to be carrying over into the regular season. The lefty-hitting Cruz gets two more right-handers on Saturday and Sunday in this series with the O's, hitting a stratospheric .429 (9-for-21) and with both of his bombs coming against righties this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is starting at shortstop and is hitting seventh in the batting order on Monday against the Washington Nationals and left-hander MacKenzie Gore. Cruz got a day off on Sunday and hasn't hit higher than sixth in the team's batting order so far in 2024, which isn't what fantasy managers want to see. In the early going, Cruz has gone 5-for-16 with a home run and two RBI. While he remains one of the most impressive young shortstops in the game, his fantasy value will be limited by a lack of RBI opportunities if he continues to hit near the bottom of Pittsburgh's batting order all year long. Now that he's back in the lineup for the start of the series against Washington, fantasy managers in single-year leagues need to get him back in their lineups.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz and catcher/outfielder Henry Davis will start on the bench for Sunday's series finale versus the Miami Marlins. Alika Williams is playing the 6 and batting eighth, while Jason Delay will do the catching for Pittsburgh while hitting in the nine-hole. Neither Williams nor Delay will be particularly attractive DFS sleepers on Sunday against Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers. Cruz went 5-for-14 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored in the first three games of the season before getting his first day off. The 25-year-old missed most of last year due to a fractured ankle but is one of the bright young ascending talents in the game at the shortstop position. Davis started behind the dish for the Bucs for each of their first three games, going 2-for-12 with a run scored and three walks.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is hitting sixth on Opening Day on Thursday against the Miami Marlins and left-hander Jesus Luzardo. Cruz is probably going to hit leadoff for the Bucs against right-handed pitchers, but he's going to start in the six-hole on Opening Day against a southpaw. It's not what fantasy managers really want to see and isn't good for his DFS value to kick things off. Instead of the 25-year-old atop the batting order on Thursday, it will be outfielder Connor Joe in that spot for Pittsburgh. The 2023 season was a lost one for Cruz after he fractured his ankle on April 9, but there's still plenty to like from this emerging shortstop talent because of his power/speed profile at an unorthodox 6-foot-7, 215 pounds at the 6.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz continued his impressive power display during Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 3-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI during Monday's blowout victory. Cruz is now tied for the spring lead with seven home runs already. Fantasy managers who were lucky enough to draft him before the hype train should be excited. Now, fantasy managers will have to pay the price to get Cruz, but he looks like he's the real deal. It feels like a 30-HR and 30-SB season could be a real possibility for him.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz continued his power display during Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The young slugger belted his fifth home run of the spring during Wednesday's blowout loss. This spring, Cruz is hitting .292 with five dingers and eight RBI in 24 at-bats. The Pirates could have a breakout star on their hands if Cruz can stay healthy in 2024. This hot start to camp is certainly going to raise his status on draft boards.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz had a big day at the plate on Sunday in a Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 25-year-old went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBI, continuing what has been a big spring for the young infielder. Cruz is now hitting .278 with three homers, one stolen base, and a 1.187 OPS across 22 plate appearances this spring. Limited to just nine games last season due a broken ankle suffered in just his ninth game of the season in 2023, Cruz has hit .237 with 19 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and a .751 OPS across his first 410 plate appearances in the big leagues. He owns an appetizing combination of power and speed that fantasy managers should covet in drafts this spring.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is making his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles and is batting leadoff and playing shortstop. It's great to see Cruz playing in games again after he fractured his left ankle early last season. The 25-year-old's injury required season-ending surgery in 2023. Cruz is fully healthy now, though, and will be Pittsburgh's starting shortstop. His size (6-foot-7, 215 pounds) is unorthodox for a shortstop, but the left-handed-hitting Dominican has a lot of upside at a premium position if he can stay healthy for a full season. In his three years in the big leagues over 98 games (410 plate appearances), Cruz has hit .237/.302/.449 with 19 home runs, 61 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He should easily be a top-10 fantasy shortstop at the end of the year if he can avoid another injury.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is healthy heading into the 2024 season, according to manager Derek Shelton. "He's healthy. He's moving around. That's a really encouraging sign for everybody who's a Pirates fan," Shelton told reporters. The 25-year-old shortstop fractured his left ankle back in April of the '23 season and missed the entire year as a result. It's been a long road to recovery but he's now looking primed for the 2024 campaign. Cruz has as much upside as anyone at the SS position but injuries have plagued him so far early in his career. He has a .237/.302/.449 batting line to go along with 19 home runs, 61 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 410 plate appearances over three seasons. He's an intriguing fantasy player due to his blend of power and speed but the hype could get out of control if he remains healthy and has a solid spring training.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) has appeared in instructional games this offseason in the Dominican Republic. "Watching his at-bats made me smile," manager Derek Shelton said. Cruz is rehabbing from a fractured left ankle that he suffered way back in early April that knocked him out for the rest of the 2023 season. As long as the 25-year-old doesn't encounter any setbacks this winter or next spring, he should be ready for Opening Day as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop with a bunch of fantasy upside. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Dominican has impressive power and speed at a premium position, but he has also yet to play more than 87 games in a single season in his three years in the majors to this point. In 98 career games, he's hit .237 with 19 home runs, 61 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 410 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) is in Florida rehabbing his surgically repaired left ankle. He has been hitting, running and throwing and has even played in some simulated game action. General manager Ben Cherington said winter ball in the Dominican Republic is something the team is considering for Cruz, and a decision could be made in the coming days. "Based on all the information I have right now, yes," Cherington said when asked if he still expects Cruz to be 100 percent and ready by the start of spring training in 2024. The 25-year-old should open the 2024 regular season as Pittsburgh's regular shortstop, barring any setbacks this winter.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday that shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) will not return this year, which doesn't come as a surprise considering the fact that Cruz had yet to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. Cruz had surgery early in the season to fix a fractured left fibula and had some setbacks during the rehab process. Barring more setbacks in the offseason, the 24-year-old should be fully ready for the start of spring training next year. Despite playing in only nine games in 2023, Cruz has plenty of long-term fantasy appeal at a premium position in Pittsburgh. In 98 games played in his three years in the big leagues, he's hit .237 (54-for-372) with 19 home runs, 61 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 54 runs scored.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (foot) has "plateaued" in his rehab and has stopped his running progression due to left-foot general soreness, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. "It's tough to tell right now, but we are running out of days," Tomczyk said when asked about the possibility that Cruz can still play again this year. The 24-year-old is trying to return from surgery on his left foot, and he hasn't played since getting hurt on April 9. It's bad news for those that have held onto Cruz all year in redraft leagues, and it's now looking more likely that he won't play at all again in 2023. Alika Williams and Liover Peguero have been sharing playing time at shortstop of late in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) started a formal running program earlier this week, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. Cruz is slowly improving from his surgically repaired ankle and has been throwing and doing light fielding work in the last few weeks as well. The 24-year-old should eventually go on a minor-league rehab assignment and is fully expected to play again for the Bucs in 2023. When healthy, Cruz will be the club's primary shortstop, and he has plenty of upside in all fantasy leagues. The 6-foot-7 Dominican infielder clubbed 17 home runs, drove in 54 and stole 10 bases in 87 games for Pittsburgh in his first real taste of the big leagues in 2022, showing his impressive power/speed combination.

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on 93.7 The Fan on Sunday that "all signs point to shortstop Oneil Cruz (leg) playing major-league games in Pittsburgh this season." However, Cherington added that Cruz is more likely to return in September, not August, as originally expected. The 24-year-old is walking without a limp and is hitting soft toss. He's able to put full weight on his ankle and is playing catch out to 120 feet, although he hasn't started a formal running program. Cruz has been on the injured list since April 10 after fracturing his left fibula in a collision while running the bases. When he's back to full health, Cruz will return to starting duties at shortstop for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) continues to make progress and could start a minor-league rehab assignment in August, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. In other injury news for Pirates infielders, Tucupita Marcano (knee) will have season-ending surgery to fix a torn ACL that he suffered rounding third base on July 24 against the San Diego Padres. Also, Ji Hwan Bae (ankle) will have an extended rehab assignment so that he can play multiple positions. Cruz has been out since fracturing his left ankle on April 9, and there remains no specific timetable for the 24-year-old's return, although they expect him to return this year. The good news is he has already started to field groundballs and play catch up to 150 feet.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (leg) is playing catch up to 75 feet and is gaining confidence, strength and range of motion in his rehab from surgery in early April to fix a fractured fibula. Cruz still has a long ways to go before the Pirates think about returning him from the injured list. Barring a setback, the 24-year-old shortstop could resume playing in live games in August. Given his immense talent and extreme upside at a premium position, Cruz needs to remain stashed in all fantasy formats despite his long recovery. He had only played in nine games in 2023 before suffering the devastating injury, and he had gone 8-for-32 (.250) with a homer, four RBI and three stolen bases. Prospect Nick Gonzales, Tucupita Marcano and Rodolfo Castro have all seen time at the 6 in the last week for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (ankle) will be out of his walking boot in a couple of weeks, according to MLB.com, and then he'll be ready to start to regain his strength back in his ankle. The 24-year-old has been out of action since April 9 after sliding into home plate and fracturing his left fibula, before landing on the 60-day injured list. Prior to the ailment, Cruz was hitting .250 with one homer, seven runs, four RBI, and three steals over nine games. The flashy infielder still has a ton of steps to complete before he can return to the Pirates and likely won't be ready until at least early August.