Pirates Announce Oneil Cruz Update After Removal From Lineup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Xavier Constantino | Last updated Apr 27, 2026 9:34 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be without one of their most important offensive weapons Monday night. The team scratched center fielder Oneil Cruz from the starting lineup ahead of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park, with Jake Mangum stepping in as his replacement in center field.

Cruz has been one of the Pirates’ best hitters through the first month of the season, slashing .259/.320/.518 with eight home runs, 24 RBI for a .838 OPS. The hard-hitting 27-year-old is ranking in the 99th percentile in average exit velo (96.8), barrel percentage (23.2), and hard hit percentage (63.8) according to Baseball Savant. His presence at the plate has helped Pittsburgh post one of the better records in the National League at 16-12, though the Pirates sit third in the NL Central.

Oneil Cruz was removed from tonight’s starting lineup due to an illness. He is currently being treated by the club’s medical staff. https://t.co/KILBLR3nxS
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 27, 2026

The Pirates confirmed Cruz’s illness is being treated by the club’s medical staff. Mangum, stepping in on short notice, is making just his second start in center field this season.

In a full lineup, Mangum functions primarily as a depth piece, seeing time across the outfield rather than holding down a regular spot. Mangum is a significant drop-off from Cruz at the plate, slashing .254 with just two RBI in 22 games this season. The Pirates will be hoping his stint in center is a short one.

The scratch came at a bad time, as Cruz had been off to a hot start in 2026, a stark contrast to the version of Cruz the Pirates had in 2025. A season ago, Cruz was slashing .200/.298/.378 for a .676 OPS. It was a frustrating season for a player whose tools had never been in question, but the underlying numbers told a different story than the box score.

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15)© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh worked with Cruz in the offseason, focusing on his approach and swing decisions, per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. In the early stages of 2026, Cruz has already shown that the offseason work has paid off. Besides the power numbers, he has been one of the more active baserunners in the league with 10 stolen bases, giving the Pirates a dynamic they rarely had at the top of the order in recent years.

The Pirates will hope that the illness doesn’t take Cruz away for too long. With the Cincinnati Reds two games ahead of the Pirates for first place in the NL Central, keeping their lineup at full strength is critical as the calendar turns toward May.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: