Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz accepted being replaced for lack of effort: 'I support the decision'

On Wednesday Beijing time (Tuesday night local time in Milwaukee), the Pirates lost 3-9 to the Brewers, and head coach Don Kelly replaced Oneil Cruz before the bottom of the eighth inning.

Kelly indicated that this action was due to Cruz's "lack of energy and effort while running the bases" after hitting a ground ball in the seventh inning.

With one out and a runner on first base in that half-inning (the Pirates trailing 3-7), Cruz hit a ground ball to Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin. As Durbin threw to second baseman Joey Ortiz, Cruz noticeably slowed down while running the bases, leading to Ortiz completing a double play to first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

Cruz continued to play defense in the bottom of the seventh, but after a quick three outs in the eighth, Alexander Canario took over his outfield position in the bottom of the eighth.

Kelly viewed this as an opportunity to reiterate the team's expectations: "We had made it clear recently that he knows the standards moving forward. Despite communication, this performance did not meet those standards."

This incident occurred less than a week after Cruz's error in center field last Friday, when he was criticized for not aggressively pursuing a line drive he missed. While Kelly retained his eligibility to play, he was satisfied with Cruz's response afterward.

Regarding Kelly's decision to substitute him, Cruz expressed no objections through assistant coach and translator Stephen Morales: "DK (Kelly) has the right to make that decision, and I support it."

Cruz acknowledged that his lack of focus on the bases during the two outs was a misjudgment but emphasized that it was an avoidable mental error. His sprint speed reached 29.1 feet/second (in the top 7% according to Statcast), and he could have avoided the double play had he sprinted fully.

If he had successfully reached base, the Pirates would have had a chance to rally with a four-run deficit. However, after the half-inning ended, the Pirates went down in order in both the eighth and ninth innings.

"I accept being replaced calmly," Cruz said regarding his substitution, "because Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham set an example—they always run at 100%. This is something I can learn from. DK's explanation was acceptable."

Recent events have coincided with Cruz's ongoing struggles at the plate: his OPS was 0.902 at the end of April, dropped to 0.828 at the end of May, and fell to 0.725 after this game (batting average of 0.208).

"His hitting is indeed struggling, and the adjustment process is already difficult," Kelly pointed out, "We must be cautious that hitting issues affect defense, base running, and overall energy in the game."

Cruz denied that his hitting state was related to this incident, calling it "just a mistake," and viewed this phase as a normal fluctuation for a player: "Face the challenges and improve every day."

Regarding hitting adjustments, Cruz believes the key lies in improving the quality of contact: "Everything else is fine; it's just that the outcomes haven't met expectations."

It remains uncertain whether he will return to the starting lineup on Thursday Beijing time (the final game of the series). Kelly did not make any promises when asked after the game: "We'll discuss it."