After suffering a 7-6 walk-off loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates made a flurry of roster moves prior to Tuesday’s rematch at Busch Stadium.
The Pirates announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have ended Oneil Cruz’s rehab assignment and activated him from the concussion injured list.
Cruz last appeared for Pittsburgh two weeks ago on Aug. 12. He played two games for Double-A Altoona on his rehab assignment, going 1-for-6 with a triple, two runs, three RBI and a stolen base.
The 26-year-old star centerfielder was in a slump before sustaining his injury, going 3-for-35 with 12 strikeouts over his last 10 games. He’ll try to put that skid behind him, finish the season strong and give the Pirates’ lineup a boost down the stretch.
Pittsburgh also recalled right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta from Triple-A Indianapolis. He last pitched for the Pirates on Aug. 10, going 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in five appearances for them this season.
Story continues below advertisement
In corresponding moves, Pittsburgh optioned outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A and designated veteran pitcher Andrew Heaney for assignment to make room for Cruz and Moreta. Simon hit .233/.250/.267 in seven games for the Pirates this year, while Heaney (5-10, 5.39 ERA) recently lost his rotation spot and continued to struggle out of the bullpen.
Lastly, Pittsburgh transferred the rehab assignments of pitchers Justin Lawrence and Tim Mayza from Low-A Bradenton to Triple-A Indianapolis, indicating that they could be ready to return soon. Both are on the 60-day IL and haven’t pitched for the Pirates since April, so perhaps they’ll be able to return when rosters expand in September.
More Pirates: Pirates Unveil 2026 Regular Season Schedule
Story continues below advertisement
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images