PITTSBURG – He’s here.
“Now is the time to think [Cruz] “It can help us,” Shelton said. “We’ve talked about a lot of things in development. There are still things we’ll keep working on, but we think now is the time for him to help us.”
There was speculation that Cruz would be called up at some point during this home game, but the flames flared even more when he was expelled from Triple-A Indianapolis for Sunday’s match. General manager Ben Charrington, when asked about Cruz’s omission on his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan, said with a laugh, “Boys get weekends from time to time.”
For many in Pittsburgh, that moment could not come soon enough.
Fans expressed almost universal disappointment when Cruz was removed from the list on the opening day. The 23-year-old broke up last season and was rewarded with his first call-up in the Major League, where he teased the talent, which turned him into an intriguing prospect. In his brief spring workout this year, he made several home runs that were a testament to his raw, awe-inspiring strength.
Cruz started slowly with Triple-A Indianapolis. In April, he hit just .176 with a home run. Since then, Cruz has reduced .265 / .367 / .500 with eight home runs and 130 wRC +, excluding his only appearance on Sunday, while creating exit speeds that only a handful of people can achieve. Cruz made some cameos in the left field, but Shelton confirmed that Cruz will play mostly shortstop with the Pirates.
Someone far more familiar with the field is Madrid, who has been in absolute tears for the past few weeks. Like Cruz, Madrid started slowly, reaching just .200 in April. Madrid began to heat up in May, but after the calendar turned to June, it rose to another level. In 16 games this month, Madrid lowered .400 / .463 / .683 with two home runs and nine doubles. Now he and Cruz will head to Pittsburgh.
“He did a lot of things well,” Shelton said. “If you look back, even if we came out of spring training, if we were to be somewhere else, then he might have made our club. He was really good last month.
“He can play in both corners of the field. He continued to do many things well, and just then he deserved to be called. So I think that’s the culmination of where he was in spring training and then what he’s been doing for the last three weeks. “
The arrivals of Cruz and Madrid come at a time when the team and in particular the attack can use a spark. Even with Suwinski’s heroism on Sunday, the Pirates have lost 11 of their last 13 games. Cruz, who is perhaps the most dynamic threat to the speed of power of any current potential, can certainly help launch a lethargic crime quickly.
Calling Cruz was always a question of when, not whether. He had too much talent, too much potential, to spend an entire season in Triple-A. On Sunday, the question of the date of his arrival was finally answered. On Monday, he will be at PNC Park, dressed in black and gold. Cruz is here. He will have his own track. Finally, it’s time to see what’s in your bag of tricks.
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