Oneil Cruz proves worth to Pirates in return from injury, rough rehab assignment

Sitting six home runs shy of setting a new career-high in half the games, Oneil Cruz has been proving his value to the Pittsburgh Pirates ever since making his return from injury. 

Before his appearance on Tuesday, Cruz, 27, last played for the Pirates way back on June 7. He then spent an extended period on the 60-day injured list with a left hand fracture and some time on a rehab assignment in the minor leagues. 

Oneil Cruz's minor league struggles haven't mattered since making his MLB return

Cruz's handful of games between Indianapolis and Altoona made some fans debate if he lost his stoke all together. He struggled mightily, posting a pedestrian .177 batting average and one RBI in four games in Double-A and going hitless in two games with the Indians in Triple-A. 

However, what happened in the minors doesn't matter now. Because over the past two games back in the big leagues, Cruz has two hits, a home run and three RBI. 

His presence immediately helped lead the Pirates to a victory over the Detroit Tigers, driving in half of the Pirates' total scoring output in their 4-1 win to even the series.