Oneil Cruz was not in the Pirates lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 23, a late scratch that marked just the fourth time this season he had not started.
It was the first time Cruz had missed a start since back-to-back games on April 26 and April 27. The Pirates scratched him 10 minutes before first pitch on April 26 because of an illness, then held him out against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25 and the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 28 after his struggles in center field on Opening Day.
The move came after a sharp drop in production from one of Pittsburgh's most dangerous bats. Over his past nine games, Cruz hit.189/.268/.243 with a.512 OPS, going seven for 37 with four walks and 18 strikeouts. He had one hit in his last 13 at-bats over his past three games and four hits in his last 25 at-bats over his past six.
That slump has stood in contrast to the start he had built through the end of April, when he hit.256/.321/.512 with an.833 OPS in 30 games. By then he had five doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases. In May, he added one home run and became the first player in the 10-10 club with 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases, but the strikeouts kept coming. He had six stolen bases and none in his past six games, led MLB with 80 strikeouts and struck out 32 times in 19 games in May.
Cruz's season has been a reminder of how quickly his impact can swing from game to game. He had been one of the best hitters for the Pirates this year before the recent slide, and the club is now trying to keep his power in the lineup while limiting the damage from the swing-and-miss that has defined too many of his at-bats.
