Oneil Cruz Could Return from Broken Ankle by August

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates got as good news on injured shortstop Oneil Cruz as possible – he should be able to return to action at some point this season.

The Pirates said Monday that Cruz is expected to miss four months after breaking his left ankle in Sunday’s 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park.

Cruz underwent surgery Sunday night at Allegheny General Hospital to stabilize the fracture and address an injury to the syndesmosis. The original fear was that the 24-year-old might have also sustained ligament damage in the ankle, which would have been a season-ending injury.

Instead, Cruz could now be back by the middle of August.

Cruz is hitting .250/.375/.375 with one home run and three stolen bases in nine games for the Pirates, who are off to a 6-3 start.