Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Cruz (oblique) will be activated off the injured list Sunday or Monday, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.
Cruz has made four minor-league rehab appearances and is just about ready to return to the big club's bullpen. Though his first two rehab outings were rough, the right-hander has bounced back by allowing one run over 2.1 innings with a 5:1 K:BB over his past two appearances. Cruz should have a prominent place in the Yankees' bullpen upon his return, though the trade-deadline acquisitions of David Bednar and Camilo Doval could push him down the pecking order to some extent.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Could be activated next week
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Cruz (oblique) is slated to make a four-out minor-league rehab appearance Friday, and if that goes well, he could be activated from the injured list as soon as Monday, per MLB.com.
Cruz landed on the injured list in late June due to a left oblique strain. The veteran reliever kicked off a minor-league rehab stint Aug. 14 and has appeared in three games so far (two with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and one with Double-A Somerset), allowing four runs on five hits with a 4:1 K:BB over 2.1 innings. Though those numbers are poor, Cruz's most recent outing was strong -- he struck out the side and gave up only one hit over one scoreless frame Tuesday. Once activated off the IL, Cruz should be a candidate for high-leverage work, though he may be eased back given his lengthy absence. He also may be lower on the depth chart than when he last pitched, as New York added David Bednar and Camilo Doval to the bullpen at the trade deadline.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Slated for three rehab appearances
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Cruz (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Thursday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Cruz has already reported to Somerset and got through a 19-pitch live batting practice session Sunday, clearing the way for him to begin a rehab assignment. He's expected to make three appearances in the minors before being activated from the 15-day injured list, potentially by the end of next week. Cruz has been out since late June with a strained oblique.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Will face hitters Sunday
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Cruz (oblique) is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session with Double-A Somerset on Sunday, Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News reports.
Cruz has been on the injured list since June 30 due to a severe left oblique strain. He began throwing bullpen sessions in late July and has shown enough progress to advance to facing hitters. Since Cruz's absence has already lasted over a month, he'll likely need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he's ready to rejoin the Yankees. Nonetheless, a return before the end of August is feasible.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Throwing bullpen session Friday
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Cruz (oblique) is slated to throw a bullpen session Friday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
It will be the first time he's thrown off a mound since he went down with a left oblique strain in late June. Given the length of Cruz's absence, he's likely to require a few rehab appearances before rejoining the Yankees' bullpen. The 35-year-old boasts a 3.00 ERA and 41.2 percent strikeout rate this season.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Targeting August return
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Cruz (oblique) could return sometime in August, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Updates have been few and far between since Cruz hit the IL on June 30 with a high-grade oblique strain. Per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Cruz could start playing catch as soon as this weekend. Manager Aaron Boone said Friday that an August return is possible.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Dealing with severe oblique strain
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Manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Cruz (oblique) has a "high grade" strain, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
"Obviously, that will be some time," Boone added. Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday after he was injured in the weight room Sunday. Cruz is likely looking at an extended absence. The 35-year-old holds a 3.00 ERA and impressive 54:14 K:BB across 33 innings of relief this season.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Oblique strain forces IL stint
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The Yankees placed Cruz on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left oblique strain.
Cruz injured his oblique while warming up with a medicine ball in the weight room Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports. He'll undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the strain. Geoff Hartlieb was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Cruz's spot in the bullpen.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Fans three, nabs win in relief
Rotowire
Cruz (2-3) earned the win over Baltimore on Sunday, striking out all three batters he faced in a perfect inning of work.
Cruz came on in the eighth inning with the Orioles up 2-1, inheriting runners on first and second base with no outs. The right-hander put out the fire by striking out Ramon Laureano, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins on 13 total pitches. Cruz has been a punchout machine since coming off the injured list June 3, racking up 15 strikeouts over 6.2 innings covering eight appearances. He's given up four runs in that span but overall still holds a solid 3.26 ERA as one of New York's top high-leverage options this season.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Activated from injured list
Rotowire
The Yankees activated Cruz (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
Cruz was sidelined for the past two weeks with right shoulder inflammation. He'll skip a rehab assignment and go right back into a Yankees bullpen that just lost Luke Weaver (hamstring).
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Expected back Tuesday
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Cruz (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Cruz will skip a rehab assignment and go directly back into the Yankees bullpen after tossing an 18-pitch live batting practice session Saturday. He's missed the last two weeks with right shoulder inflammation. The Yankees plan to place Carlos Carrasco on outright waivers in a corresponding move.
Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Throws another bullpen session
Rotowire
Cruz (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
"I feel ready. No pain, no discomfort," Cruz told reporters after Saturday's session. The 35-year-old right-hander is recovering from right shoulder inflammation that caused him to land on the 15-day injured list May 22. Cruz is eligible to be reinstated from the IL on Tuesday and may not require a rehab assignment (barring any setbacks).
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Throws bullpen session
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Cruz (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Cruz said afterward that his mound session went well, and he's expected to begin facing live hitters Saturday. Assuming he doesn't experience any setbacks over the next several days, he seems to be on track to return when eligible Tuesday.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Placed on 15-day injured list
Rotowire
The Yankees placed Cruz on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right shoulder inflammation.
Cruz felt a tug in his right trap area recently, which had left him unavailable to pitch. An MRI ruled out structural damage, but he was given a cortisone injection to combat inflammation. According to Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record, Cruz was able to throw off flat ground Thursday despite landing on the IL, so he should have a good chance at being ready to go when he's first eligible for activation June 3.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: MRI comes back negative
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Cruz will play catch Thursday after an MRI on his right shoulder came back negative, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Cruz felt a pull in his right trap area recently that has left him unavailable to pitch recently. He was given a cortisone shot to combat inflammation and the hope is that he will be able to avoid the injured list, but it's not clear when he might be available to pitch again.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Nursing shoulder injury
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Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Cruz hasn't been available for the past few days due to a shoulder injury, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Boone didn't go into specifics about the injury, but he noted that imaging on the reliever's shoulder came back negative. With a 2.66 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 23.2 innings on the season, the 35-year-old righty has been a reliable high-leverage arm for New York, though it's unclear when he might be cleared to pitch in a game again.
Cruz earned a save against Tampa Bay on Sunday, issuing three walks and striking out one batter over 1.1 scoreless and hitless innings.
Max Fried gave New York 7.2 splendid scoreless frames, and Cruz was called upon in the bottom of the eighth to get the final out after the Rays put a runner on base. Cruz walked the first batter he faced but escaped further danger by getting Junior Caminero to pop out. The Yankees plated a run in the top of the ninth to eliminate a save opportunity for closer Devin Williams, and Cruz ended up finishing off the victory successfully despite issuing two more free passes. It's been a great start to the season for the 35-year-old reliever, as he's posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 19:6 K:BB over 12 innings while working as one of New York's top high-leverage relievers. Cruz has two saves over his past four appearances, but he's unlikely to see consistent save chances with Williams still the team's primary closer despite some early-season struggles and Luke Weaver the top candidate for most save chances when Williams is unavailable.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Records rare save vs. Royals
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Cruz picked up the save in Wednesday's win over the Royals after allowing one hit and one walk in two innings. He struck out two.
With both closer Devin Williams and setup man Luke Weaver having worked each of the past two days, Cruz was given a rare save chance and recorded six outs to get the job done. Cody Bellinger made a spectacular diving catch in right field for the final out of the game. Cruz has a strong 2.79 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB over 9.2 innings this year, but he's unlikely to see more than a handful of save opportunities in 2025 as long as the top of the Yankees' bullpen is healthy.
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