PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Wednesday is the four-month mark since Oneil Cruz broke his ankle. The first talk from the Pirates medical staff was the potential to return in four months. That won't happen on August 9. Is there a timeline for that yet?
"No, we don't have a target date yet because he hasn't started running," Pirates manager Derek Shelton told the Cook and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan. "He's started to take ground balls and he's started to hit in the cage, which are encouraging signs. Once we get him running, we will have a real good idea of a target date."
You'll see reports or speculation of Cruz not playing this year. Shelton told Ron Cook and Joe Starkey on 93.7 The Fan he's at the top of the list of people who want to see him back. They want to see him play before the end of the year and he wants to be out there too.
"It's something that is really important to us," Shelton said on 93.7 The Fan. "It's really important to Oneil, but until we get him running. I don't think we will have a target date."
Mitch's problems
His first three months were so good that even as the team slumped, National League managers recognized Mitch Keller was one of the best pitchers in the NL and named him to the All-Star Game.
Since then, an 0-4 record with a 6.28 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in July. The first start of August, he gave up eight runs in five innings at Milwaukee.
"It's just been inconsistency of the pitches," Shelton said during his weekly appearance on the Cook and Joe Show. "Early in the year we saw everything work. The sweeper was really good early on and it's been inconsistent and then the fastball command. Lately it's been really inconsistent."
Much criticism about the lack of fastballs thrown. Not just from media reports or social media comments, but from former players.
"I think that's a good question," Shelton told 93.7 The Fan. "I think I've said that publicly, he's had a couple of starts where he didn't throw it enough. It's something we saw him do early in the year."
"His confidence is still there. There are conversations Oscar (Marin-pitching coach) and I have had with him, pitchers go through times when they don't throw the ball well. We have to make sure as a staff and I have to make sure as a manager that we have conversations of confidence. Go out and trust your stuff that it's good."
Shelton warned that Tuesday night he's facing a great hitting team in Atlanta and numbers may not show the true results of how he pitches.
Play to win
It was pointed out by Starkey the team was eight games back in the loss column of first place and only six back of the Reds and Cubs. Is this team just trying to get guys experience or do they look at the standings?
"In my mind it's about winning games," Shelton told Ron Cook and Joe Starkey. "That's how we are playing. That's how we are managing. You look at (Monday) night, we were pretty aggressive with what we did with a very short bullpen."
"We are going out to win every night. We are going to be aggressive."
