Pirates Make Oneil Cruz Move After Being Pulled From Brewers Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin M. Groe | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 2:29 PM ET

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is playing in his fifth major league season for the team after his debut in 2021. The 26-year-old centerfielder burst on to the scene with his elite power and is responsible for the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast era at 122.9 mph.

He is under team control through the 2028 season, with 2026-28 serving as his arbitration years, so he will remain apart of the NL Central last place Pirates unless a trade materializes.

The lowly Pirates have struggled this season, sitting at 32-49 with the league’s worst offense—averaging just 3.3 runs per game—even with Cruz’s efforts.

In his final at-bat against the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the seventh inning of Tuesday’s 9-3 loss, Cruz grounded into a double play—and his lack of effort drew immediate attention.

Interim manager Don Kelly confirmed he was pulled for a lack of energy and effort running to first, and declined to answer if Cruz would return to the lineup for Wednesday's game, per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Noah Hiles.

In a noticeable shift, Cruz was moved down to fifth in the batting order, four spots lower than his leadoff role that he held throughout June—marking the first time all season he has started a game this low in the order.

Series finale in Milwaukee.

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On Friday against the Texas Rangers in a 6-2 loss, Cruz misplayed a single in center field, allowing a run to score and drawing criticism for not hustling after the ball. However, he stayed in the game, finishing 0-5 with two strikeouts.

Overall, in 20 games this June, Cruz is hitting just .156 with a .479 OPS, one home run and 31 strikeouts—a drastic dip in performance.

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

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