Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Returning from two-game absence

Cruz (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat third in Sunday's game against the Rockies, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Cruz will check back into the lineup after a sore left ankle prevented him from playing in either of the first two games of the series. The fact that the Pirates are using him at shortstop Sunday rather than deploying him at designated hitter would seem to speak to confidence in Cruz's health heading into the team's upcoming six-game week.