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: 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
Rotowire
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: 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: 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.
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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: 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.
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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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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Showing off strikeout stuff
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Through five outings this season, Cruz has a 10:1 K:BB over 5.2 innings while pitching to a 4.76 ERA and 0.71 WHIP and notching one hold.
Cruz's mediocre ERA so far can be attributed to one outing -- he gave up three runs over two-thirds of an inning against Pittsburgh on April 4. In the right-hander's other four appearances, he's held the opponent hitless and scoreless over five frames. Cruz posted a K/9 of 12.9 or better in each of his first three big-league campaigns with the Reds, and he's topping even that impressive mark so far this season with a 15.9 K/9 in the early going of his first year with New York. Cruz has just one hold so far, but he's seen most of his work in the seventh and eighth frames, suggesting that manager Aaron Boone trusts him in high-leverage situations. For fantasy managers in leagues that count holds, Cruz could be worth considering as a waiver-wire target considering his ability to rack up punchouts.
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Yankees' Fernando Cruz: Moving to Bronx
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The Reds traded Cruz and Alex Jackson to the Yankees on Friday in exchange for Jose Trevino, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Cruz has spent two full seasons with the Reds, accumulating a 4.88 ERA and 1.27 WHIP alongside a 207:63 K:BB over 132.2 total innings. The 34-year-old righty has plenty of experience handling high-leverage situations, finishing 2024 with 23 holds, but he could be moved into a middle relief role if he continues to surrender runs at a high rate.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Serving as opener Friday
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Cruz is scheduled to serve as the Reds' opening pitcher for Friday's game against the Mets.
He'll be making his third straight appearance as an opener after thriving on the previous two occasions Aug. 28 and 31. He covered five innings in those outings while striking out 11 and allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk. Cruz threw 42 pitches in each of those appearances, so he could be able to push up into the 50-to-55-pitch range Friday if the Reds elect to turn him loose. Jakob Junis and Brandon Williamson are both available on four days' rest and could be options to work in bulk relief once Cruz exits the contest.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Opening Wednesday
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Cruz will serve as the Reds' opening pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Cruz has turned in a 5.30 ERA and 1.41 WHIP through 52.2 innings this season, and he'll now be called upon to make his first start of the campaign in what will likely be a bullpen game for Cincinnati. Only seven of Cruz's 61 appearances have lasted more than an inning, so he'll presumably be taken out of the game after recording the first three outs.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Walks three, takes loss
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Cruz (0-1) was tagged with the loss Friday against the Mets. He allowed a run on three walks while striking out two over one inning in a 3-2 defeat.
Cruz entered a clean seventh inning and got the first out before walking three consecutive batters. He nearly escaped trouble, but a potential double-play grounder was mishandled by shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The reliever has allowed two runs one one hit and three walks while striking out eight over 4.1 innings.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Activated from injured list
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Cruz was activated from the 15-day injured list by the Reds on Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Cruz missed nearly a month of action with a right shoulder strain but is ready to roll following a couple rehab appearances. He's posted a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 relief innings for the Reds this season, although that's come with 20 strikeouts.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Starting rehab assignment
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Cruz (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Cruz could be activated as soon as May 26 for the start of the Reds' next road trip. he's been out since late April with a right shoulder strain.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Hits IL with shoulder strain
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Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Cruz has struggled out of the gate to the tune of a 6.59 ERA over 13.2 innings out of the bullpen, and he'll now be shut down for at least a couple of weeks because of the shoulder injury. The Reds reinstated Graham Ashcraft from the bereavement list in a corresponding move.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Wild season debut
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Cruz walked three batters and threw a wild pitch while recording just one out in relief of Hunter Greene in Thursday's Opening Day loss to the Pirates.
Cruz's control problems allowed both of the runners he inherited from Greene to score, and contributed to the Reds walking a cumulative nine batters over the course of the game.
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Reds' Fernando Cruz: Opening Game 2 vs. Bucs
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Cruz will work as an opener in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Pirates, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Raynel Espinal is expected to be the primary pitcher out of the bullpen after Cruz gets a few outs to open the game. Cruz has a 1.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings over five appearances since getting promoted for September.
