The New York Yankees placed right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow discomfort, a move announced Wednesday that follows a challenging second half of the Major League Baseball season for the pitcher. The roster adjustment came a day after Cruz surrendered a game-tying, two-run home run to Jeremy Peña during a 9-7 loss to the Houston Astros, marking his fifth home run allowed since the All-Star break.
Roster Shuffle and Five Pre-Game Moves
Cruz’s trip to the injured list was part of a five-move flurry executed by the Yankees front office prior to Wednesday night’s matchup against Houston. To bolster the active roster, New York signed Michael Fulmer to a major league contract and added the right-hander directly to the active squad. Additionally, the club recalled right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodríguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make his fifth career start on Wednesday night.
To clear necessary space on the structural depth charts, the Yankees optioned reliever Bradley Hanner to Triple-A and transferred right-handed reliever Kervin Castro to the 60-day injured list.
Performance Struggles and Medical Evaluation
In his second season with the Yankees, Cruz holds a 4-6 record and a 3.13 ERA across 61 appearances. However, his performance has dipped significantly in recent weeks, reflected in a 5.52 ERA over his last 17 outings since the midsummer break. Following Tuesday’s contest against Houston, Cruz maintained to reporters that he felt healthy, but he was later seen exiting the clubhouse accompanied by a team athletic trainer.
According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, the decision to shut down the reliever came from the training staff even before definitive diagnostic imaging returned. “Cada vez que tienes eso y los preparadores físicos sienten que es una situación de lista de lesionados antes de obtener los resultados,” Boone explained regarding the preemptive roster move. “Así que veremos qué tenemos y luego lo abordaremos a partir de ahí.” Club officials were awaiting the results of imaging tests on Cruz’s right elbow to determine the severity and expected timeline for his recovery.
Injury History and Replacement Context
The physical setback marks the latest chapter in a career dotted by health interruptions. Last season, Cruz finished with a 3-4 record and a 3.56 ERA after arriving in New York via a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher José Treviño. His medical chart over recent years includes a two-month absence during the previous season due to a left oblique strain suffered while training with a medicine ball, alongside a brief downtime caused by a right shoulder strain.
Cruz represents the 17th Yankee to spend time on the injured list this season, and the second in a span of four days following starting pitcher Ryan Weathers landing on the shelf Sunday due to a left forearm strain. Filling the void, the newly acquired Fulmer arrives with deep major league experience. The 33-year-old former Rookie of the Year spent time in Triple-A with the Giants and Angels this season, making three scoreless relief appearances for Los Angeles before being designated for assignment. Fulmer noted that the Yankees were the first organization to reach out to his representatives after he cleared waivers, quickly resulting in a minor league agreement Tuesday before his promotion to the active roster.
Keep reading
