Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz underwent surgery late Sunday night to repair his fractured left ankle and is expected to miss 10-12 weeks. Sources confirmed that ‘Cruz is expected to be out 10-12 weeks’ after he ‘underwent surgery last night for his fractured left ankle, injured during a home plate collision Sunday.’
The 24-year-old Cruz was injured while sliding into home plate and collided with catcher White Sox catcher Seby Zavala, in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 1-0 win over Chicago. Benches cleared when Pirates designated hitter Carlos Santana took exception to Zavala screaming at Cruz about the late slide while he was on the ground, writhing in pain. Cruz was helped off the field by Pirates bench coach Don Kelly and physical therapist Seth Steinauer.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Cruz currently has a record of .250/.359/.375 with a double, a home run, four RBIs, seven runs scored and two stolen bases through the first nine games for the Pirates (6-3). Cruz finished sixth in National League rookie of the year voting last season, with a record of .233/.294/.450 with 13 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 54 RBIs, 45 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in 87 games.
The Pirates are expected to place Cruz on the 60-day injured list. Rodolfo Castro, who moved from second base to shortstop for the final two innings, is a candidate to replace Cruz in the starting lineup.
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