Oneil Cruz ruled out 4-months after suffering injury during Pirates vs. White Sox game, MLB Twitter reacts
Oneil Cruz is set to miss four months of the season following the collision on Sunday.
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{Pic Credit: Sports Illustrated]
Following a nasty collision at the home plate during a game against the Chicago White Sox, shortstop Oneil Cruz is set to be sidelined for four months. The Pittsburgh Pirates player has undergone surgery and could see him return to the field in August. The collision did not go well as both benches were cleared.
Cruz was originally appointed to the ten-day injured list. He has been replaced by Mark Mathias who has been recalled from the Triple-A. The incident took place in the bottom of the sixth inning. On a ground ball by Hayes, Cruz decided to try to score from third. White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada picked up the ball and fired it home to the catcher Zavala.
While attempting to slide to score the run, Cruz got caught up in the dirt and collided with Zavala. The catcher would stand and exchange some words which led to this brawl. As Cruz was writhing in pain, Pirates’ Carlos Santana got into the mix with Zavala which was soon followed by both sets of dugouts being cleared.
However, the incident did not escalate any further and only involved a few pushes and some foul language. The loss of Cruz could pay a huge dividend in the Pirates’ upcoming season. He has been 8-for-32 with one home run, one double, and four RBIs over the first nine games. Last season he smashed 17 homeruns and cashed in 54 RBIs.
Regarding the game, the Pirates were able to hold down their 1-0 lead and win the game against the White Sox. This injury has certainly damaged the mood in the Pirates’ dressing room. With the Cardinals and Reds yet to establish themselves as a major threat in the NL Central, the Pirates could try to make a run for the top spot alongside the Brewers.
Related: WATCH: Travis Kelce’s first pitch at the Cleveland Guardians game goes hilariously wrong
Benches cleared after Oneil Cruz’s collision
The benches getting cleared is not something uncommon in MLB. Following this collision, White Sox’s catcher Zavala perhaps was not too pleased with the attempt by Cruz. The catcher said something to Cruz, who was lingering in pain at the plate.
Carlos Santana who was standing nearby did not like what Zavala had to say and exchanged a few words with him and then within moments. Both sets of players were on the field.
White Sox’s Tim Anderson and Michael Kopech were spotted among those who got involved in the brawl. It has also been reported that the bullpens got empty and raced to the outfield to join the mess.
Moving on from Cruz, the Pirates lost their series opener against the Astros. This three-game home series will be followed by an away four-game series against the Cardinals. Though relatively early in the season, the Pirates would be hoping to make the best out of that series providing they avoid getting swept by the defending champions.
Last year, the Pirates had another disappointing campaign as they finished fourth in the National League Central standings with a terrible record of 62-100. They were 12 games behind the third-place Cubs, which proved that they are still very far away from reaching the top just yet. Maybe this could be the season. Will Cruz’s absence affect them? Probably yes. To what extent will it affect them is yet to be seen.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
(528 Articles Published)