Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz has been in a slump recently and was dropped in the batting order. He fell to sixth in the order on Sunday, but maybe that helped spark his bat. Cruz hit a two-run home run off right-hander Frankie Montas in the first inning. He would hit another two-run shot in the seventh inning for his first multi-hit game in nearly a month. Cruz finished this game 2-for-4 with two homers, four RBI, and two runs scored in the blowout win over the New York Mets. It has been a struggle at times with Cruz, but fantasy managers should continue to stick with him.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is on the bench for Friday's series opener at PNC Park against the visiting New York Mets. Alexander Canario is starting in center field for the Bucs and will hit eighth against Mets left-hander David Peterson. Not only has Cruz been slumping at the plate, but he was pulled from the game earlier this week after not running out a double-play ground ball. In 21 games in June, the 26-year-old Dominican has gone 12-for-81 (.148) with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, eight steals, 10 walks and 32 strikeouts in 93 trips to the plate. He has only two hits in his last 31 at-bats with 12 K's. Cruz is barely hitting over the Mendoza Line in 264 at-bats in 2025, but he does still have 13 long balls, 42 runs and a league-high 26 stolen bases, making him a must-start in fantasy amidst his struggles. Canario is hitless in three career at-bats against Peterson and is a low-upside DFS sleeper.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is being dropped to fifth in the batting order for Wednesday's series finale against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. It comes after Cruz was pulled from Tuesday's loss after not running out a double-play grounder in the seventh inning. Cruz claims he lost track of the outs. Manager Don Kelly cited Cruz's "energy and effort going down the line" for why he was pulled. The 26-year-old has hit just .156 (12-for-77) with 31 strikeouts in the month of June despite having a .911 OPS in early May. He's now hitting .208/.321/.404 with 13 homers, 31 RBI and 26 steals in 71 games. Although Cruz is currently slumping, he's still an everyday fantasy asset in regular leagues. In DFS, though, managers may want to stay away while he's slumping against a young rookie pitcher who has looked unhittable in his first two MLB starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of his team's lineup for Thursday's matinee of their doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. Rookie teammate Billy Cook will operate center field and bat ninth in his place. Cruz was scheduled for a day off on Wednesday, but inclement weather forced a postponement, so he'll sit out the game a day later. It's just a regular day off for him, as he has been absent from the starting nine just once since May 19. Despite a paltry .223/.344/.442 triple slash on the season, the 26-year-old holds the best quality of contact metrics in the league, and is underperforming his xBA (.246) and xSLG (.501) by a good margin.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game at Comerica Park against a tough left-hander. Outfield prospect Billy Cook will make the start in center field and hit ninth against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. Cruz could use the day off after going 10-for-50 (.200) with a homer, four RBI, seven steals, nine walks and 20 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances in 14 games so far in the month of June. The former shortstop hasn't hit for average (.223) but has 13 long balls, 30 RBI, 40 runs scored and a league-leading 25 stolen bases. The 26-year-old has also struck out a league-high 91 times in his 279 trips to the plate in his fifth year in the majors. Fantasy managers will want to avoid Cook as a deep sleeper in DFS in what will be just his 17th big-league game.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is not in the lineup Saturday as the Bucs continue a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It's his first day off since May 19. Alexander Canario will shift from left to center to replace Cruz, while Tommy Pham will play left. Second baseman Nick Gonzales will slot into Cruz's leadoff spot in the lineup. The lefty-hitting Cruz has been highly productive with a .230/.353/.465 line, 12 homers, 28 RBI, and 22 stolen bases over 241 plate appearances, but he has done the vast majority of that damage against right-handers. The Phillies are starting a tough lefty, Ranger Suarez, on Saturday. Cruz has a paltry .532 OPS with one HR in 57 at-bats versus southpaws this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz had another productive night Wednesday in the team's 3-0 victory against the Houston Astros. Cruz finished 2-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases, giving him 22 steals on the season. He leads the majors in SBs and has already tied the career-best mark he set last year over 146 games. Along with his prowess on the bases, Cruz has notched a sturdy .827 OPS with 12 homers, 26 RBI, and 35 runs scored in 232 plate appearances. However, Cruz has tallied just seven hits and one HR in 52 at-bats versus left-handed pitchers this year. That's not ideal going into Thursday's showdown with Astros southpaw Framber Valdez.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz went 0-for-2 with two steals and a run scored in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres. He added two strikeouts and walked thrice. Cruz experienced trouble putting the ball in play, but he still impacted the base paths -- notching steals No. 19 and No. 20 in 2025. It broke a ten-game streak for him without a swipe, which was the longest of the season. The Dominican Republic native is still striking out at an elevated rate (32.6%). However, he's hitting the ball harder than ever -- sporting career-highs in average exit velocity (97.3 MPH), hard-hit percentage (61.4%), and barrel rate (24.6%). All three of those figures give him the top marks in the MLB.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz launched a solo home run in a 6-5 loss to the Brewers on Sunday, his 11th of the season. This wasn't your average homer, as it was hit with a monstrous exit velocity of 122.9 mph. It was the hardest-hit ball ever recorded by Statcast, which the league implemented in 2015. Not only is his raw power now officially at the top of the leaderboards, but he also has 18 stolen bases which is good for the third most in the league. This combination of power and speed gives him one of the highest ceilings of any player in fantasy.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz was among the driving forces in Friday's Bucs' 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Cruz went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs, including a game-tying blast off right-hander Abner Uribe in the ninth inning. The Pirates went on to win in the 10th. The team has a subpar record of (18-for-34) this year, but Cruz has been a rare bright spot for Pittsburgh. Although the 26-year-old is sporting a low batting average and a high strikeout rate (31.6 percent), his overall line is .229/.358/.464 sits well above the league average. He has totaled 10 home runs, meaning he's well on his way to eclipsing last season's career high of 21 and a league-leading 18 stolen bases. Cruz has done most of his damage against right-handers and will face Brewers righty Quinn Priester on Saturday.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. Alexander Canario will make another start in center field and will bat fifth against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo. Cruz was held out of the lineup for four straight games last week due to back soreness before playing the final two games of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and Sunday, but he went hitless in eight at-bats with seven strikeouts. Hopefully, the 26-year-old is just out of action on Monday because the Bucs are facing a left-hander and not because he's had a setback with his back. Cruz has hit just .223 (31-for-139) on the year but does have eight long balls and 16 stolen bases for his fantasy managers. Canario won't be a recommended DFS sleeper against a pitcher that he hasn't faced in his career.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Matt Gorski will give it a go in center field and will hit eighth against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez. This will be Cruz's fifth straight game on the sidelines with back soreness, and if he doesn't recover in time to play this weekend in Philly, the Bucs might decide to put him on the injured list. Cruz hasn't impressed with his .238 average (31-for-130) in 37 games this year, but he's added eight home runs and a league-best 16 stolen bases. Gorski should be considered a low-upside deep DFS streamer near the bottom of Pittsburgh's batting order on Friday night. In his first 14 major-league games in 2025, Gorski has gone 8-for-38 (.211) with two homers and four RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the New York Mets. Cruz is set to miss his fourth game in a row due to back soreness that he suffered over the weekend. It doesn't sound like the Pirates want to place him on the injured list, but they might be forced to if he doesn't start getting better. In his absence, Ji Hwan Bae will cover center field and bat eighth versus right-hander Clay Holmes. The Pirates are off on Thursday, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Friday for another update on Cruz.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) continues to sit out for Tuesday's contest at Citi Field against the hosting New York Mets. Ji Hwan Bae will get the start in center field for the Bucs and will hit eighth against Mets right-hander Kodai Senga. A sore back has now kept Cruz out for a third straight game. If the 26-year-old is unable to return to the lineup by later this week/weekend, it could turn into an injured-list situation, so fantasy managers must keep a close eye out. Cruz hasn't homered since April 26, has one extra-base hit in May and has gone 6-for-31 (.194) with eight walks and 14 strikeouts in nine games this month to drop his season line to .238/.369/.462. The Dominican is still a must-roster player in all fantasy leagues and has eight homers, 16 RBI and 23 runs in 130 at-bats. Bae has gone hitless in only five at-bats this year, although he does have two stolen bases.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Cruz will miss his second straight game after being pulled from Saturday's game early against the Atlanta Braves with lower-back tightness. Alexander Canario is making another start in center field for the Bucs and will hit seventh against Mets left-hander David Peterson. Cruz is considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if the 26-year-old is feeling good enough to play in Game 2 of the series in Queens. The 25-year-old Canario profiles as a low-upside DFS sleeper near the bottom of Pittsburgh's batting order against Peterson. He has never faced Peterson in his career and is sitting on just eight hits in 50 at-bats in 2025 with two home runs, three RBI and six runs scored.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) is out of the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. Alexander Canario is getting the start in center field and will bat sixth against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Cruz will take a seat on Sunday after being forced from Saturday's contest in the ninth inning with lower-back tightness. For now, fantasy managers should consider the 26-year-old to be day-to-day and check back for more updates. It remains to be seen if he'll be available to return for Monday's series opener versus the New York Mets on the road. If Cruz is forced to miss significant time, Canario and Ji Hwan Bae could share playing time in center field for Pittsburgh. Canario is hitting .146 (7-for-48) on the year with two home runs and three RBI and should be avoided in fantasy on Sunday against last year's National League Cy Young winner.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) made a late exit during Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Cruz appears to have tweaked his back during the ninth inning of this contest. As a result, Cruz was removed from the contest and replaced by Matt Gorski in center field. Before exiting, Cruz was 0-for-4 with a walk, stolen base, and a run scored. The team is considering Cruz day-to-day with back tightness, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to miss much time. Gorski will likely see more time in center field if Cruz misses some action. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Sunday for an update on Cruz.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz swiped two bags during their loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday evening. Cruz also scored two runs and drew two walks. Through the first month of the campaign, the 26-year-old has flashed elite five-category upside. Through his first 30 contests, Cruz has held a .245/.364/.519 slash line with eight home runs and 14 stolen bases. Under the hood, he has generated an elite .422 xwOBA with a .580 xSLG, which places him in the 96th and 94th percentile, respectively. In addition, Cruz has shown a strong eye at the plate, drawing walks at a 15.5 percent rate and showing high speed upside, placing in the 88th percentile in sprint speed. Given his ability to hit for power and make an impact on the basepaths, he remains a must-start option in all standard formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop/outfielder Oneil Cruz had both a home run and a stolen base in the Pirates' 3-0 win over the Angels on Wednesday night. His stolen base came in the third inning, and his home run was a solo shot off Jack Kochanowicz in the fifth inning. Cruz is up to six home runs and 11 stolen bases on the season and is hitting .247 with a .370 wOBA. He has always been a Statcast darling, and he has continued that trend with a 55.6% hard-hit rate and an 18.55 barrel rate. Cruz has looked very comfortable in the leadoff spot for the Pirates and should continue to be an elite fantasy producer with plenty of upside as long as he can stay healthy, especially in home runs and steals. He was part of the 20-20 club last year with 21 homers and 22 stolen bases, but he is on base to finish much better in both categories in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is not in Sunday's lineup when they conclude a series against the Cleveland Guardians. Cruz has been in the starting nine in each of the previous seven contests and will get a much-needed day off. During this stretch, the 26-year-old has posted a .269/.367/.654 slash line with one double, three home runs, and three stolen bases. Through 19 games this season, Cruz has held a .234/.363/.500 slash line with five long balls and 10 stolen bases. Under the hood, he has generated an elite 20.5 percent barrel rate and a 54.5 percent hard-hit rate, which are both well above the average marks, which suggests his power production should continue to climb during the summer. Fantasy managers should expect Cruz to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Angels. This afternoon, Alexander Canario will cover center field and bat in the five-hole.