Pittsburgh Pirates: Takeaways From Home Opening Series Victory Against the White Sox

Apr 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Andrew McCutchen (22)
Apr 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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Replacing Oneil Cruz

Oneil Cruz left Sunday's game after an ugly play at the plate and he suffered what looked like a serious injury. Unfortunately, it was indeed serious as Derek Shelton told reporters after the game that he has fractured his left ankle.

With Cruz likely to miss at least 6-10 weeks the question now becomes how will the Pirates replace him? Well, right now, it would appear that Rodolfo Castro will play shortstop every day with Ji Hwan Bae at shortstop.

The problem with that is Castro is not a good enough defender at shortstop to play there every day. Neither is Bae. Liover Peguero, a top 10 prospect in the organization who is on the 40-man roster, may not be either.

Since Cruz will land on the 60-day injured list it is possible we see the contract of veteran Chris Owings selected from Triple-A to provide some defensive help at shortstop. Regardless of how things shake out, it will be a step down from what Cruz would provide.