Cruz’s Strikeout Surge and Injury Setback | Pittsburgh Pirates News

Oneil Cruz was crushing it for the Pirates—batting .264 with 14 homers and 44 RBIs—before a hand injury derailed his breakout season. Despite leading the league in strikeouts (98 in 64 games), his power and contact improved dramatically, especially vs. lefties, making him a fantasy darling. Cruz credits offseason work and MLB experience for his growth, and while elite sluggers like Thome and Schwarber also strike out a lot, Cruz’s production proves strikeouts don’t have to derail success. Now sidelined through July, his absence has hurt the Pirates’ momentum—ironically, the only thing keeping him from a historic strikeout record. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/79f7bede2b89077b