Pirates Reveal Oneil Cruz Update on Wednesday

Mark J&period; Rebilas-Imagn Images

Pirates Reveal Oneil Cruz Update on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Miracle Dimwesh | Last updated Jul 29, 2026 12:51 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates received encouraging news on Wednesday as center fielder Oneil Cruz was cleared to resume all baseball activities, marking another significant step in his recovery from a fractured left hand.

Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk said Cruz has progressed enough to begin baseball work without restrictions despite some remaining swelling. According to Matt Press, the Pirates hope Cruz can face live pitching later this week or early next week, potentially putting him on track to return when first eligible to come off the 60-day injured list in early August.

Cruz has been sidelined since suffering non-displaced fractures in his left hand on June 10. Pittsburgh later transferred him to the 60-day injured list, but Wednesday's update represents his biggest milestone since the injury.

Oneil Cruz has resumed all baseball activities, per director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. “Some residual swelling”, but that isn’t holding him back.

Pirates hope to get Cruz live at-bats late this week or early next week.
— Matt Press (@MattPress23) July 29, 2026

Cruz was one of Pittsburgh's most productive players before the injury interrupted his season. Across 64 games, he hit .264 with 14 home runs, 44 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and an .822 OPS while continuing to impact games with his combination of power and speed.

His return would arrive at an important time for the Pirates, who entered Wednesday's rubber match against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 55-53 record while remaining in the National League Wild Card race. Adding Cruz back to the lineup would provide another boost for an offense looking to stay in postseason contention.

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

Pittsburgh also continued reshaping its roster after consecutive extra-inning games against Arizona. The club optioned Tyler Callihan, Brandon Eisert and Isaac Mattson to Triple-A Indianapolis while recalling outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and pitchers Hunter Barco and Noah Murdock.

Those moves provide additional depth, but Cruz remains the biggest reinforcement on the horizon. If his upcoming live at-bats go as planned, the Pirates could welcome one of their most dynamic players back to the lineup shortly after he becomes eligible for activation.

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

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