Fantasy baseball impact of Pirates SS Oneil Cruz’s injury

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz suffered a fractured ankle after an awkward slide at home plate on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. As bad as the injury is for the Pirates, White Sox catcher appeared to say something in reference to Cruz after he was down that didn’t sit well with his teammates and caused the benches to clear.

The injury looked bad and Cruz was clearly in pain. He is expected to be sidelined for multiple months but could return at some point this season. Cruz is rostered in 91.9% of ESPN fantasy baseball rosters.

Shortstop is a tough position to field and isn’t very deep. When looking at the waiver wire for a replacement, you will likely either want an infielder that can play multiple positions or focus on increasing a certain stat. For example, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo already has five stolen bases and is rostered in only 33% of leagues.

New York Yankees starting shortstop Anthony Volpe is only rostered in 52.5% of leagues, and he has the upside of regular playing time. Milwaukee Brewers prospect Brice Turang is another intriguing replacement option. He is only rostered in 13.4% of leagues and had 23 fantasy points in the first week of the season. If you are in a league with deep rosters, check to see if Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo is available. He is only rostered in 0.7% of ESPN leagues and already has 25 fantasy points this year.