Oneil Cruz has already been cleared for all baseball activities, and the calendar says he’s eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on Aug. 7. Even so, the Pirates still aren’t giving anyone much to work with when it comes to his return.
General manager Ben Cherington was asked directly when Cruz might be back, and his answer didn’t exactly sharpen the picture.
“Still don't have a specific date or timeline, but I think we're getting closer all the time,” Cherington said (via Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). “We're waiting for maybe a little bit more information from him, but we're anticipating it happening soon.”
Will add that Ben Cherington said, "We believe he's making progress, and hopeful that he's on track. Still anticipating or hopeful that he's back into games soon."
Essentially the same answer as his radio show on Sunday.
- Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) August 5, 2026
That’s a lot of cautious wording for a player who was supposedly cleared more than a week ago. Believe.
Hopeful. Anticipating.
Soon. None of it tells the Pirates’ fan base what still has to happen before Cruz can actually get back on the field.
Cherington didn’t spell out whether Cruz is still dealing with discomfort, whether he’s not ready for a rehab assignment, whether there’s been a setback, or whether the club is simply rebuilding his timing after a long absence. He only repeated that the team “believe he's making progress” and are “hopeful that he's on track,” while again saying they expect him back into games soon.
That’s not the same thing as a real timeline.
And while nobody should expect the Pirates to pin down an activation date before Cruz is truly ready, there’s a big gap between protecting a player and leaving everyone guessing about what’s next. Hand injuries can be tricky for hitters, and bringing Cruz back too early would do nobody any good if he can’t swing freely or produce at full strength.
The timing matters even more because Pittsburgh is not just waiting out a lost season. The Pirates are trying to stay in the National League Wild Card race, and Cruz’s absence has left an already inconsistent lineup without one of its biggest bats. Before going on the injured list, he was hitting .264 with a .350 OBP and a .472 SLG.
Every game counts from here, and so does every hint about when help might arrive. Cruz could still be close to a rehab assignment, and he could still be back around the middle of August. Cherington’s latest update, though, didn’t move the story much beyond that.
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