The Pittsburgh Pirates received a great update on centerfielder Oneil Cruz on Friday morning.
Cruz has been out for the Pirates since June 8th and he is currently on the 60-day injured list with left hand fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures.
He was cleared to return to baseball activities just over a week and a half ago, it now looks like the 27-year-old will be starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.
With the Pirates faltering and going 2-8 in their last 10 games, the comeback of Cruz would be a huge boost for their lineup.
Cruz's absence has been huge for the Pirates, who have fallen to fifth place in the National League Central Division despite being buyers at the Trade Deadline.
The Pirates are missing a player who is slashing .264/.350/.472, good for a .822 OPS, with 14 home runs, 44 RBI and 21 doubles in only 64 games played. Getting that bat back in the lineup could turn the Pirates season around.
With the rehab assignment, Cruz should be able to return to the big league roster within the next week, an exciting development for the Pirates trying to push themselves back into the Wild Card race.
