Pirates fans got glimpse of the ideal future after Oneil Cruz rehab triple

Oneil Cruz began his minor league rehab assignment Saturday at Double-A Altoona, meaning good news for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they hope to get their star slugger back from the 7-day concussion injured list in due time.

Cruz has not appeared in a game for Pittsburgh since Aug. 12, when he collided with teammate Jack Suwinski in the outfield. There had been no update on his recovery status since Aug. 17, when general manager Ben Cherington said on his weekly radio show that Cruz had been doing on-field plyometrics and taking swings in the batting cage, but was not yet ready for a full return.

Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Saturday that Cruz would begin a rehab assignment at Altoona that evening, giving Pirates fans hope that they could see him back in the Major League lineup in a matter of days. But his performance in Altoona's 4-2 win over Reading gave fans a different kind of hope – one that would last, hopefully, for years to come.

Pirates fans got a glimpse of the ideal future after Oneil Cruz rehab triple set stage for Konnor Griffin

Altoona carried a tied game into the bottom of the fifth inning, where Cruz ripped an RBI triple to deep right field to bring in the go-ahead run with one out. Three pitches later, newly-promoted Konnor Griffin – the top prospect in all of baseball – singled Cruz home for what would end up being the final run of the game.

Griffin, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, earned his second promotion of the year last week in what has been a remarkable first season of pro ball. Through five games with Altoona, he has five hits (all singles) and is slashing .263/.318/.263 with three RBI, including Saturday's.

For Pirates fans, the sequence offered a glimpse of an ideal future in Pittsburgh – a future that actually features an even remotely formidable offense to support an elite starting pitching staff. Griffin stole two more bases in the win as well, raising his season total to 62, while Cruz currently leads the National League with 34 stolen bags on the season. If Griffin continues his rapid rise through the ranks in Pittsbugh's farm system, he can Cruz could be working their magic in the majors together as soon as next year.

Size. Speed. Power. It was all on display Saturday in Altoona. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, it will be on display in Pittsburgh, too.

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