Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has fully recovered from his 2023 ankle injury and is participating in the the team's offseason activities.
Cruz suffered a broke ankle right ant the onset of the 2023 and was unfortunately never able to rejoin his team during the season. However, the potential breakout shortstop should have all of his injury woes behind him well in advance of Opening Day this season and could be among the most exciting players to watch in 2024.
Cruz had a promising debut campaign in the majors, knocking 17 homers with 54 RBI and 10 stolen bases in his first real season while striking out at a concerning 34.9% rate. He dropped that strikeout rate to 20% in his limited plate appearances in 2023 and will look to continue developing this year. If he plays a full season, it's not impossible to envision him hitting 30 home runs with 30 stolen bases.
Source: Alex Stumpf, MLB.com