'Do our best to get back': Despite setback, Oneil Cruz hopes to play for Pirates this season

Oneil Cruz hasn’t closed the door on a return to playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, despite the soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle that forced him to stop a running program.

“You don’t want it to happen, but it’s normal with the kind of surgery we had to have a little bit of a setback,” Cruz said Thursday through interpreter Stephen Morales. “But we’re optimistic that we’re going to go back out again and do our best to get back as possible.”

A day earlier, Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk downgraded Cruz’s rehabilitation from “making progress” to “plateaued” and questioned whether the 24-year-old shortstop has enough time to return to play in games this season.

“That’s going to be challenging due to the days left on the calendar, not only the season but just how we feel when he’ll potentially reengage in running,” Tomczyk said Wednesday. “So, too tough to tell right now. But I think we’re running out of days.”

The disruption to Cruz’s recovery has prevented the 6-foot-7, 220-pounder, who hit 17 home runs and had 54 RBIs as a rookie last year, from starting a rehabilitation assignment. Double-A Altoona plays its final game Sept. 17, and Triple-A Indianapolis plays its finale Sept. 24. The Pirates’ season ends Oct. 1.

The Pirates cleared Cruz to start a running program two weeks ago, but Cruz said he experienced discomfort the first time he ran on a treadmill so he stopped the workout out of caution.

“I just thought that day to not make it worse, that way we won’t get a setback, and then just worked on it,” Cruz said. “Just tried to get out there again.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said the key has been to keep Cruz thinking positive, despite missing the majority of the season. He fractured his left ankle on an awkward slide into home plate against the Chicago White Sox on April 9 at PNC Park, in the Pirates’ ninth game of the season.

“When you’re dealing with a significant injury like he’s dealing with, it’s just making sure that his spirits stay up, and he continues to attack his rehab,” Shelton said. “He’s done a really good job with his rehab. I think then expectation when you have something like this, there are gonna be times where it does plateau. We just have to make sure that we keep pushing forward, and he keeps working hard. He’s done a good job with that.”

The Pirates were 6-3 when Cruz was injured and finished April at 20-9, the best record in the National League at the time. They since have shuffled through seven shortstops, going from Rodolfo Castro and Tucupita Marcano to Alika Williams and Liover Peguero.

“It’s hard for me to see my teammates out there playing hard and not be able to help the team,” Cruz said. “It’s what it is. I’ll have to continue to get better, and who knows, I could be back at any time. We’ll see what happens. It’s definitely hard to see my teammates out there and not be able to help them out.”

The Pirates lost Marcano to season-ending knee surgery and traded Castro to the Philadelphia Phillies, leaving a lineup that regularly starts several rookies who weren’t on the Opening Day roster. Cruz said he’s looking forward to playing alongside top prospects like Peguero, catcher Endy Rodriguez and right fielder Henry Davis.

“Hopefully in the future, we can all be together and play together,” Cruz said. “I can’t control the future, but it will be really good to play with a bunch of talented, young players that are now up here and make this team a special one.”

Cruz said spending a season sidelined has been a “learning process” where he is viewing the game from the outside. If Cruz doesn’t return in time to play this season, he could participate in the Arizona Fall League or play winter ball in his native Dominican Republic.

It’s possible Cruz could play in a major-league ballpark again this year. His Dominican team, Tigres del Licey, will play a three-game series against Aguilas Cibaenas from Nov. 10-12 at Citi Field in Queens.

“It’s a decision that the team will make at the proper time,” Cruz said. “Whatever the decision is, I’ll be good with it.”