TORONTO — The New York Yankees have placed their right-handed pitcher, Fernando Cruz, on the 15-day injured list starting from Monday due to a strained left oblique muscle. In response to the roster gap, they have brought up right-hander Geoff Hartlieb from their Triple-A affiliate.
Meanwhile, catcher Austin Wells missed his second consecutive game because of circulatory issues affecting the index finger on his left hand. Manager Aaron Boone elaborated that the condition likely stems from the physical demands of catching. Despite the discomfort, Wells has gone through multiple tests to eliminate the concern of a blood clot. Boone mentioned that the recent invasive tests mean Wells will probably be out until Wednesday, with J.C. Escarra stepping in as the temporary catcher.
Boone was pleased with the test results so far, remarking, “Everything we’ve gotten back has been good,” and noted that Wells wasn’t impaired from a performance perspective. Wells currently has a batting average of .214, with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs over the span of 69 games this season. The catcher experienced a high point in his career last season by hitting a personal best of 13 home runs. He shared that discoloration of his finger had been an issue since last year but intensified significantly over the past two weeks.
Interestingly, this situation mirrors an incident two years ago when former Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt dealt with circulation problems that led to surgery for an aneurysm in his left shoulder. Rortvedt’s issue similarly commenced with circulatory concerns in one of his fingers, prompting Wells to consider thorough testing for his ailment.
As for Cruz, his stint on the injured list is retroactive to June 28. This marks Cruz’s first year with the Yankees after a four-year career in the majors. He boasts a 2-3 record accompanied by a 3.00 ERA and has secured two saves. Notably, Cruz has not conceded an earned run in 26 of his 32 appearances and remained hitless across his last eight outings. The MRI results following the Yankees’ narrow loss to the Toronto Blue Jays revealed a high-grade strain for Cruz. Boone acknowledged, “Obviously, that will be some time,” indicating a potentially lengthy recovery for the pitcher.
Cruz was previously unscheduled from May 17 to June 4 due to right shoulder inflammation but reported soreness after warming up with a medicine ball ahead of Sunday’s home win over the Athletics. His performance has been impressive, with a strikeout rate of 41.2%, ranking him among the top pitchers with minimum 20 innings pitched. He maintains a career-high 14.73 strikeouts per nine innings, placing him third among pitchers who have faced at least 120 batters, trailing only Minnesota’s Griffin Jax and Oakland’s Mason Miller respectively.
In moving Hartlieb onto the pivotal 40-man roster, the Yankees have decided to designate infielder CJ Alexander for assignment to clear space.