New York Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz is avoiding Tommy John surgery for the time being, opting instead for a conservative treatment approach that offers an outside chance of pitching again this season. The 36-year-old right-hander was diagnosed last week with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
Cruz met with surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion and, according to manager Aaron Boone, is feeling better and seeing positive results from physical tests. He is expected to begin throwing in the coming days to gauge his recovery. Whether this path allows him to return before the end of the season remains uncertain. "Can’t rule it out, but impossible to know right now because I think surgery could be an option," Boone said Friday. "But it doesn’t sound like we’re going down that road yet. See how he responds and continues to respond."
Before experiencing elbow discomfort over the last three weeks prior to his IL stint, Cruz had posted a 3.13 ERA in 61 appearances this season. His splitter had been a key weapon, though his ERA was 5.93 over his final 16 outings. His absence has impacted the Yankees' bullpen depth, joining David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Paul Blackburn as key late-inning options, with Tim Hill available for left-handed matchups.
In other injury updates, rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. has returned to the lineup after missing the Angels series with right knee inflammation. Pitcher Ryan Weathers, shut down two weeks ago with a left forearm flexor strain, is expected to begin throwing this weekend and could return as a reliever if he responds well. Carlos Lagrange, who injured his shoulder in late June, is slated to throw live batting practice and could be activated with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, though his impact on the Yankees this season is considered a long shot. Aaron Judge has begun on-field batting practice as part of his rehab from a right rib stress fracture and is targeting a potential return next week.