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Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced Monday that Cruz will be moved to center field, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Shelton suggested that the move will be permanent, with the skipper noting that Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Gonzales will be the team's everyday options at shortstop and second base, respectively, for the remainder of the season. Cruz played one inning in left field for the Pirates in 2022 and started nine games at the position for Triple-A Indianapolis in the same season. However, he has never seen action in center field, so the 25-year-old will be learning on the fly. According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates plan to ease Cruz into his transition to the outfield by deploying him mostly as a designated hitter initially.
