Cruz will start in center field and bat eighth in Tuesday's game against the Reds.
It's the first start for Cruz against a left-handed pitcher since Aug. 2 of last season, as he was out of the lineup the final 12 times the Pirates faced a lefty last year and the first time they went up against a southpaw in 2026. The left-handed-hitting Cruz is a career .174/.249/.315 hitter against southpaws.