PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The betting favorite to win the Home Run Derby, there is a chance Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz won’t participate.
Cruz suffered a hip flexor injury late in the Pirates game on Saturday in Minnesota and left the game after a base hit in the eighth inning. Cruz was not in the lineup on Sunday.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said they are evaluating the injury and should know by the end of Sunday’s game whether he will be able to participate.
It’s not that the Pirates general manager is against the opportunity for his centerfielder, rather he hopes he is physically able to go.
“I would think the benefit is to be in an environment where he is exposed to the very best in the game,” Cherington said on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. “Exposed to the attention that comes along with that event and being around the best in the game. We’ve seen it, there are games where he takes over. There are games where he is clearly the best player on the field. For Oneil to be the best version of Oneil and for the Pirates to benefit from that, we are always trying to help him get to those games more consistently.”
“See a little bit of how some of those guys operate. How they go about their day and prepare. (It) can only help him.”
The 26-year-old has 16 home runs with a .412 slugging percentage and .729 OPS in 84 games in 2025.