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Oneil Cruz Likely to Miss Four to Six Weeks with Hand Fracture
Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington said that the "rough timetable" for outfielder Oneil Cruz's (hand) return is four to six weeks, per Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now. Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week due to non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand. It's an unfortunate setback for the 27-year-old, who was in the midst of a stellar season. Across 283 plate appearances before the injury, Cruz hit .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases. Cruz's 34.6% strikeout rate is less than ideal, but his elite barrel (16.4%) and hard-hit (59.2%) rates allow him to be productive even through the swing-and-miss. Even with Cruz likely to be sidelined until mid-to-late July, fantasy managers should find a way to stash him in an IL or bench spot. Pirates outfielder Jake Mangum has taken over as the team's starting center fielder in Cruz's absence.
Source: Pittsburgh Baseball Now - Danny Demilio
Source: Pittsburgh Baseball Now - Danny Demilio
