Costly Oneil Cruz injury update traced back to Pirates' baffling lineup decision

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Wednesday that Oneil Cruz has been placed on the 10-day injured list with non-displaced fractures in the fourth and fifth metacarpals of his left hand.

The timetable for this injury is roughly four to six weeks. That's concerning for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that less than 24 hours earlier, Cruz was in the Pirates' starting lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sure, he was scratched roughly 10 minutes before first pitch, but that only raises more questions than it answers. If Cruz was healthy enough to be penciled into the lineup Tuesday night, how did the situation suddenly evolve into a month-plus absence by Wednesday afternoon?

The injury itself wasn't exactly a mystery. Cruz hurt his hand Saturday while sliding into home plate against Atlanta. He sat out Sunday's game but still appeared as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning. The Pirates then had an off day Monday.

The Pirates had three full days to determine whether their franchise center fielder had broken bones in his hand. Yet somehow they reached Tuesday with Cruz scheduled to start, only for him to be scratched moments before game time and placed on the injured list less than a day later with fractures that will keep him out until at least mid-July.

There are some possible explanations. Maybe the organization was waiting on additional opinions. Maybe swelling obscured the full extent of the injury. Maybe Cruz's symptoms worsened unexpectedly. Regardless, a player with multiple fractures in his hand nearly being sent onto the field Tuesday night reflects poorly on the Pirates.

Pirates' handling of Oneil Cruz injury deserves scrutiny after IL move

The loss of Cruz is a huge blow to the Pirates, as he has been one of their most dynamic offensive weapons all season. The 27-year-old is batting .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs, 21 stolen bases and a 128 wRC+. Even with ongoing defensive growing pains in center field, he has still been worth 1.7 fWAR.

Jake Mangum should provide steady defense in center field, but replacing Cruz's impact in the lineup is another matter entirely. There simply isn't another player on the roster capable of replicating his combination of power, speed and game-changing athleticism.

The bigger issue, however, isn't the injury itself. What deserves scrutiny is how the Pirates handled the situation. Because when a player goes from being announced as a starter one day to being diagnosed with fractures that will sideline him for four to six weeks the next, people are naturally going to wonder what happened.

And until the Pirates provide a clearer explanation, they'll be left answering one very simple question:

What exactly was Cruz doing in the lineup Tuesday in the first place?