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PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz‘s season officially ended on Tuesday, when Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced the club wants the shortstop to continue his rehabilitation into the offseason.

Speaking before the Pirates’ 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals, Shelton told reporters that club management made the decision this week. The hope, for most of the season, was Cruz, 24, would return from his broken left ankle in September and close out the season with his teammates.

“We got together over the last couple days and basically started talking about it. You guys know what the calendar is. We’re running out of days,” Shelton said. “With an injury that happened that long ago, being able to do the proper rehab process, we got to the point where we ran out of time.”

Cruz’s left leg rolled up underneath him after he collided with Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala on April 9. He had surgery the next day, and the team first thought he’d miss four months. As the summer wore on, that return date continued to be pushed back, though Cruz remained with the team and was a fixture in the dugout.

“The rehab is continuing to go well,” Shelton said. “Now, I just think we have to figure out how we’re going to facilitate the offseason.”

A burgeoning star, in an organization full of prospects, Cruz, along with 26-year-old third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, is viewed as occupying the left side of the infield for years to come in Pittsburgh. He was batting .250 with a home run and four RBIs, at the time of the injury, and the Pirates were off to a 6-3 start.

They cooled off in the summer, and traded away several of their aging veterans at the trade deadline. Tuesday’s win gave Shelton’s club a 67-78 record.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2025 MLB All-Star Game: Everything you need to know

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2025 MLB All-Star Game: Everything you need to know

For the first time since the turn of the century, MLB’s All-Star Game will be held in Atlanta — the first ever at Truist Park since its opening in 2017.

All-Star festivities begin July 11 and culminate in the Midsummer Classic on July 15, as the National League looks to gain just its second win since 2013 while the American League aims to extend its dominance.

Following the first phase of All-Star voting, we know the top overall vote-getters in each league — Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — automatically earned the starting spot at their positions, outfield and designated hitter, respectively. Now, the starting lineups have been revealed, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers leading the way each with three starters, followed by the Chicago Cubs with two. Four players named as starters — Cal Raleigh, Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn and Pete Crow-Armstrong — are first-time All-Stars.

Stay tuned, as we’ll have everything you need to navigate All-Star Week — from event schedules and full rosters to All-Star Game analysis.

Vote for the All-Star starters: All-Star Ballot 2025

Latest news and analysis

How does MLB All-Star voting work?

2025 MLB All-Star roster predictions, biggest debates

Which slugger will win the HR Derby? Breaking down the field

All-Star schedule

(All times ET)

July 2: MLB All-Star starters reveal at 7 p.m. on ESPN

July 6: MLB All-Star full rosters announced at 5 p.m. on ESPN

July 11: HBCU Swingman Classic at 8 p.m. on MLB Network

July 13: MLB Draft at 6 p.m. on ESPN and MLB Network

July 14: MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game at 1 p.m. on MLB Network

July 14: MLB Home Run Derby at 8 p.m. on ESPN

July 15: All-Star Red Carpet Show at 2 p.m. on MLB Network

July 15: MLB All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on FOX

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Slumping Mets bump Lindor from leadoff spot

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Slumping Mets bump Lindor from leadoff spot

NEW YORK — On the same day he got elected to start an All-Star Game for the first time, Francisco Lindor was dropped from the leadoff spot Wednesday night with the New York Mets in a major tailspin.

And the move paid off immediately.

After making 191 consecutive starts at the top of the lineup, Lindor batted second as the designated hitter in the finale of a day-night doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers and their rookie sensation, right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.

Brandon Nimmo returned to the leadoff slot and launched a grand slam off the hard-throwing Misiorowski in the second inning. Lindor followed with his 17th home run to give the Mets a 5-0 lead, then added an RBI single with two outs in the sixth as the Mets snapped a 4-game losing skid with a 7-3 victory.

A slumping Lindor went 0 for 4 as New York mustered only two hits during a 7-2 loss in the opener, leaving him 2 for 29 with one walk in his past seven games. Before the nightcap he was 8 for 60 (.133) in 15 games since June 15, and his batting average had plummeted from .289 with an .858 OPS on June 7 to .255 with a .766 OPS through Game 1 of the twinbill.

Nimmo was bumped up to leadoff, a role he was accustomed to before Mets manager Carlos Mendoza moved Lindor from third in the order to first in May 2024, citing the success the switch-hitter enjoyed atop the lineup earlier in his career with Cleveland.

The change led to Lindor breaking out of a prolonged slump and the Mets taking off following a miserable start. The star shortstop finished runner-up to Shohei Ohtani for NL MVP last year, and New York made a surprise playoff run before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Lindor and the Mets both got out of the gate much better this season, but New York (48-38) had lost four straight and 14 of 17 heading into the second game of the doubleheader.

In results announced Wednesday night, Lindor beat out fellow finalist Mookie Betts of the Dodgers in fan balloting to be the starting shortstop for the National League in the July 15 showcase at Truist Park in Atlanta.

It marked the first All-Star selection in five seasons with the Mets for Lindor, who signed a $341 million, 10-year contract with New York after being acquired from Cleveland in a January 2021 trade. He made four straight AL All-Star teams with Cleveland from 2016-19 – but never as a fan-elected starter.

The previous Mets shortstop to win a starting All-Star assignment was José Reyes in 2011.

Nine different players were among the 12 shortstops picked for the NL All-Star squad the past four years over Lindor, often a slow starter since joining the Mets. But he’s finished in the top nine in NL MVP voting each of the last three years, and won Silver Slugger awards in 2023 and 2024.

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Braves ace Schwellenbach has fractured elbow

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Braves ace Schwellenbach has fractured elbow

Braves ace Spencer Schwellenbach has a fractured pitching elbow, becoming the latest Atlanta starter sidelined with a long-term injury.

The Braves said on Wednesday that the right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list as part of a series of roster moves.

Schwellenbach said he felt tightness while pitching against Philadelphia on Saturday, when he threw 90 pitches and had a career-high 12 strikeouts. He allowed one run and three hits over seven innings.

He felt sore the following day and imaging Monday revealed a small fracture at the top of the elbow. Schwellenbach said he was told this was a freak accident and said he hopes to be back this season.

MLB.com reported that the second-year player won’t throw for at least four weeks.

Schwellenbach is 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts this season for the Braves, who already are without reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (rib cage), 2024 All-Star right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) and hard-throwing rookie AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow).

The Braves also announced Wednesday that outfielder Jurickson Profar, who was suspended 80 games without pay on March 31 for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, has been activated after his reinstatement. Veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo, batting .239 with 12 RBIs in 56 games, was designated for assignment to create a roster spot.

Atlanta also optioned right-hander Kevin Herget to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, reinstated right-hander Daysbel Hernandez from the IL and recalled left-hander Austin Cox from Gwinnett.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.

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