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Jul 30, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) looks on after striking out against the San Francisco Giants in the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Pirates Make Oneil Cruz Decision vs. Cubs

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 6:26 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates changed their lineup ahead of the series opener vs. the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, including a decision on center fielder Oneil Cruz.

Cruz won't start vs. the Cubs, as Jack Suwinski takes over for him in center field and bats seventh. The Pirates activated Suwinski off of the 10-day injured list on Sept. 15 ahead of the game, optioning outfielder Ji Hwan Bae to Triple-A Indianapolis.

He made an error in his last game, letting a double go under his glove in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Washington Nationals got the go-ahead run in the 4-3 win in the series finale at Nationals Park.

Cruz had a decent game from the plate with two hits, one of just three multi-hit games for him since the start of August.

He has struggled this season for the Pirates, slashing .204/.306/.383 for an OPS of .689, with 90 hits in 441 at-bats, 18 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 56 RBIs, 63 walks to 163 strikeouts and 38 stolen bases on 43 attempts.

Cruz has especially struggled since the All-Star break, where he participated in the Home Run Derby, slashing .187/.275/.313 for an OPS of .588 in 40 games.

Suwinski makes his first start since the series finale vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Aug. 28.

The Pirates only made two other changes to their lineup, as Bryan Reynolds moves back to right field in place of Bae, still third in the batting order, while Andrew McCutchen comes back in at designated hitter and fifth in the batting order.

Jared Triolo stays at third base and leadoff, Spencer Horwitz continues on at first base and second in the lineup, while Nick Gonzales and Nick Yorke play shortstop and second base, respectively, for the second straight game, but both drops one spot in the lineup, with Gonzales batting sixth and Yorke batting ninth.

Tommy Pham stays in left field and fourth in the batting order, completing the Pirates' outfield, and Joey Bart stays on at catcher, but drops one spot to eighth in the lineup.

Rookie right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft starts for the Pirates on Sept. 15, facing off against Cubs right-handed starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, the former second overall pick by the Pirates in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Ashcraft came out of the bullpen in his last outing in the series opener vs. the Orioles on Sept. 9, giving up two hits, including a solo home run over three innings of relief with four strikeouts and 63 pitches thrown.

Kelly is also managing Ashcraft's innings, as he's had serious surgeries done in the past, like Tommy John in 2021, which kept him out the entirety of the 2022 season.

Ashcraft is already up to 106.2 innings pitched, with 58.1 innings with the Pirates since coming up on May 25 and 48.1 innings pitched at Triple-A Indianapolis prior, much higher than his previous season-high of 73.0 in 2023.

He came out of the bullpen for 16 of his first 17 appearances with the Pirates, before starting five straight games from Aug. 9-Sept. 3, with his last start coming in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on Sept. 3.

Ashcraft has faced the Cubs twice, last doing so in a start in the series opener at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15, where he gave up one earned run over five innings and posted four strikeouts over 61 pitches.

His first outing vs. the Cubs came on June 14, where he posted two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts over 18 pitches.

Ashcraft has a 4-2 record over 23 outings and six starts in 2025, with a 2.47 ERA, 56 strikeouts to 21 walks, a .225 opposing batting average and a 1.20 WHIP.

First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.