The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled top prospect Oneil Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis, the club announced Monday.
Cruz is in the starting lineup for Pittsburgh's game with the Chicago Cubs, batting sixth and playing shortstop.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop is ranked as the 22nd-best prospect in baseball by MLB.com. Cruz got into his first two big-league games late last season.
Expectations were high for Cruz heading into 2022. The 23-year-old was thought of as a favorite for NL Rookie of the Year, but the Pirates surprisingly optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis despite a solid showing in spring training.
Cruz's numbers are down a bit this year, as he's slashing .233/.337/.424 with nine homers, 35 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 54 games with Indianapolis. That would still be a marked improvement for the Pirates, though, as their shortstops have combined to hit .208/.261/.322 with minus-0.8 WAR this season.
Outfield prospect Bligh Madris joins Cruz in Pittsburgh. Madris, 26, owns a .308/.390/.526 slash line with five homers and 20 RBIs in 45 games with Indianapolis this season.
The Pirates optioned Liover Peguero to Double-A Altoona and placed Zach Thompson on the 15-day injured list in corresponding moves.
