Oneil Cruz's left ankle 'strong and stable,' as Pirates shortstop returns to starting lineup

Oneil Cruz has given the Pittsburgh Pirates several scares by tweaking the left ankle that required surgery last season, yet director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk considers it more of an issue of treatment.

After his latest sign of discomfort on a single to right in the sixth inning Monday night, Cruz was given a day off. The shortstop returned to the starting lineup Wednesday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels.

Tomczyk said the left foot continues to be “stable and strong” but noted that Cruz has tweaked it three times — in San Francisco, New York and, now, at PNC Park — and has to work through the soreness.

“It’s a pretty traumatic injury,” Tomczyk said. “The game’s going to make him stronger. Practice is going to make him stronger. Getting in those positions is going to make him stronger, so that’s all part of it. I don’t want to say that we anticipate that there will be hiccups throughout — ideally, we hope there’s nothing, he feels nothing and he continues to play at the level that he’s capable of and help us win baseball games. With any professional athlete coming back from pretty significant injuries, it’s more likely than not that things occur from time to time.”

Tomczyk said the Pirates have tried “just about everything” to protect the ankle, but Cruz prefers to play without a brace or tape. Tomczyk said he doesn’t foresee any long-term issues for Cruz with his ankle.

“What I optimally want to do is create a solid foundation, and that begins with the foot intrinsics, the ankle and all the way up the kinetic chain,” Tomczyk said. “So Oneil, the rehab team, medical team, performance team are always working on daily exercises to make sure everything is activated, first and foremost, and then strong to prepare him for the demands of the game. In short, we’ve tried everything. Sometimes he tapes, sometimes he doesn’t. We prefer, he’d prefer to wear nothing.”

In other Pirates’ injury news:

• Jason Delay caught left-hander Bailey Falter’s bullpen session Wednesday, his first time doing so since having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Tomczyk said Delay is playing catch up to 120 feet and taking swings off the tee, which could make him a candidate to transition his rehabilitation to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.

“Jason Delay is probably the one that’s closest to returning of that group,” Tomczyk said of the Pirates on the injured list. “Everything’s trending in a really good direction for Jason.”

• Left-handed pitchers Ryan Borucki and Marco Gonzales received second opinions on their arm injuries in California, which confirmed their original diagnoses.

Tomczyk said the inflammation in Borucki’s median nerve has cleared up, but he still was showing symptoms.

“So we took the opportunity to take a deeper dive with our own doctors and second opinion doctors, and that is the working diagnosis,” Tomczyk said. “Most importantly, the prognosis is he will pitch again for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Just right now, he’s not throwing status, but he is improving daily.”

Gonzales also is on no-throw status while dealing with a flexor injury. He’s had surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament and a nerve issue in his forearm in the past.

“All of the reports, everything that we’ve learned from the physicians across the country that the reconstruct ligament is intact and robust, and it’s specific to the flexor itself,” Tomczyk said.

• Right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo and catcher Endy Rodriguez, who both had Tommy John surgery, are both doing well in their respective recoveries.

Tomczyk said Oviedo is coming across the six-month mark in his rehabilitation and is expected to be cleared to throw in mid-May. Rodriguez, a switch hitter, is hitting from the left side and the Pirates anticipate him to be cleared to throw sometime this month.

• After seeking a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, minor-league right-hander Owen Kellington underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will be out 14-16 months.