Pirates place CF Oneil Cruz on 10-day injured list with broken left hand

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates placed center fielder Oneil Cruz on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a broken left hand.

Cruz was injured while sliding into the plate during the fourth inning of a loss to Atlanta on Saturday. Cruz was available as a pinch-runner on Sunday and the club had been hopeful he would avoid a stint on the IL. But additional tests revealed non-displaced fractures between his ring finger and his pinkie.

The move, retroactive to Monday, means the Pirates will have to try to stay in the mix in the NL Central without one of their most productive hitters. Cruz is hitting .264 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. His 98 strikeouts also lead the majors.

Pittsburgh recalled utility player Billy Cooke from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Cruz’s roster spot. Cooke is hitting .190 in 32 games this year for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates also placed catcher Henry Davis on the paternity list and recalled catcher Rafael Flores Jr. from Triple-A.