Two days after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured left ankle, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz was discharged from Allegheny General Hospital wearing a cast and will have to go months without bearing any weight on his left leg.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop is expected to go two months without putting weight on his left leg, Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Tuesday afternoon. Cruz is projected to return to “high-level baseball activities” in four months.

Cruz was injured in an awkward slide and home plate collision in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park.

Tomczyk said Cruz fractured his lateral fibula, the lower part of the leg outside the ankle, and injured the syndesmosis, which he described as the space between the fibula and tibia. Cruz had surgery Sunday night at Allegheny General Hospital, performed by Drs. Greg Altman and Darren Frank.

“The fracture was very nicely stabilized, and due to impact of the fracture, the syndesmosis was stretched, so that needed to be addressed and reinforced as well,” Tomczyk said. “That is the main reason why the projection is at four months, because of the combination of the fracture and the injury to the syndesmosis.”

Tomczyk said Cruz will wear the cast for a week, then likely switch to a protective boot. The staples should be removed in about two weeks, which will allow “general range of motion” to begin.

“From there, we’ll continue to move him, get back the range of motion, get back the strength and ultimately the high-level baseball activities,” Tomczyk said.

Brubaker seeks second opinion

Pirates right-handed starter JT Brubaker, who experienced right elbow/forearm discomfort, was seeking a second opinion Tuesday to determine the next course of action.

Tomczyk said the Pirates “support” and “encourage” Brubaker getting a second opinion, given that he was shut down in the 2019 season after injuring the ligament.

“The injury this time is a little different location,” Tomczyk said. “That’s why we’re exhausting, he’s exhausting, all resources to make sure that we have the most comprehensive opinions and path to preserve the vast majority of not so much this season potentially but in subsequent seasons to come.”

Tomczyk didn’t rule out the possibility of Brubaker requiring surgery.

“All options are on the table. That’s both, right?” Tomczyk said. “You seek these second opinions for confirmation, affirmation of the diagnosis. Then confirmation, affirmation of what are the best steps for him and the prescribed injury.”

In other Pirates injury news:

• After pitching one inning for Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson (elbow/forearm) threw a live batting practice Monday at PNC Park so the Pirates pitching coaches and medical staff could see him throw on back-to-back days.

Stephenson is scheduled to pitch for Indianapolis against St. Paul on Wednesday, then the Pirates will have to decide whether he’s ready to return from the 15-day injured list.

“It’s challenging when you have guys coming off and a guy that we planning on playing a large part of our bullpen like we thought Bob was going to do,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He’s going to have another appearance in Indy and we will figure it out from there.”

• Lefty reliever Jarlin Garcia (left arm) is scheduled to have more imaging testing done Wednesday. … Catcher Austin Hedges is making strides in his recovery and could be ready to come off the seven-day concussion IL soon. … Indianapolis right-hander Mike Burrows, a top-10 prospect who left Saturday’s start, has ligament damage to his right forearm and is seeking a second opinion. … Indianapolis third baseman Jared Triolo (hamate) had his cast and sutures removed Tuesday and will start gripping the bat.

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