Pirates' Cruz out 4 months after fracturing ankle vs. White Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz underwent surgery Sunday night and is expected to return to action in four months, the club announced Monday.
The 24-year-old fractured his left ankle during a collision at home plate with Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala, manager Derek Shelton said postgame Sunday, according to The Athletic's Rob Biertempfel.
Cruz was trying to score on Ke'Bryan Hayes' slow roller to third base and his foot appeared to catch in the dirt as he tried to avoid Zavala's tag. Moments after the collision, Zavala and Pirates designated hitter Carlos Santana started jawing. Both benches and bullpens cleared, although no one threw a punch.
Benches cleared in Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/CBiJzLciX6
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) April 9, 2023
"Cruz wasn't trying to hit Zavala on purpose. It was a quick play. Everything was fast," Santana said, according to MLB.com's Justice delos Santos.
"I don't like how (Zavala) screamed at (Cruz) when he got hurt. For me, I had to support my teammate."
Once order was restored, members of the Pirates helped Cruz off the field. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg. Ji Hwan Bae took Cruz's spot in the lineup and played second base, while Rodolfo Castro slid from second over to shortstop.
Here's the play at the plate that led to the benches clearing. No punches, no ejections. pic.twitter.com/2Bo1KOWnXJ
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) April 9, 2023
Cruz was ruled out on the play, and umpires didn't eject any players from either team. Zavala finished the sixth inning behind the plate but was removed for pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal in the top of the seventh.
"Bottom line is we don't want to see anyone get hurt," White Sox starter Michael Kopech said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Daryl Van Schouwen.
He continued: "Santana didn't like what he was hearing. For the most part, we were trying to de-escalate the situation ... Santana had some choice words for Seby ... We had some choice words for him ... We'll say it's the end of it, but from my perspective, it's on them."
The Pirates held on to win 1-0.
Cruz, one of the Pirates' bright young stars, is hitting .250/.375/.375 with a home run, four RBIs, and three stolen bases in nine games this season.