The Pittsburgh Pirates are moving Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field.
Cruz is set to be the designated hitter for their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs starting Monday night. He will take part in pregame workouts early in the week and is expected to make his center-field debut during the weekend series in Cleveland.
At 6-foot-7, Cruz has only played one inning in the outfield since joining the major leagues in late 2021, having appeared briefly in left field in 2022.
Cruz, who became the tallest shortstop in major league history when he debuted on October 2, 2021, has made 24 errors this season in 112 games, including 12 in his last 28 games. He is hitting .265 with 18 home runs and 17 stolen bases.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton mentioned the position change before Monday’s game, stating, “It’s something that we’ve been talking about. It’s not something we took lightly. He’s an unbelievable athlete. We feel that (center field) is probably the best position for him and for the Pirates.”
The Pirates are in last place in the National League Central and are looking ahead to 2025. Shelton added, “We wanted to make sure that we had a runway of games going into next year, for that to be important. Excited to see him out there.
This kid is a dynamic athlete. With the way that we’re set up now, I feel that’s the best thing for us.”
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, acquired from Toronto in a trade on July 30 and signed through 2025, is expected to play most of the games at shortstop for the rest of the season.