2 years agoPittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against left-hander Trevor Rogers and the Miami Marlins. Kevin Newman is shifting over to shortstop for the game. The left-handed Cruz has hit just .172/.194/.310 in same-handed matchups this year, while he's maintained a .239/.271/.522 slash line against righties. The 23-year-old had a strong weekend at the plate, reaching base a total of four times in the team's three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He hit his fourth home run of the year on Sunday. Cruz has been hampered by a 34.2% strikeout rate and he's been primarily hitting in the lower third of the team's lineup lately, but he's shown a lot to like, including a 91.6 mph average exit velocity and a 14.3% barrel rate. Keep him stashed on your bench if you can afford the roster spot.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com