Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz's injury raises an important question

Fernando Cruz has been struggling in recent games for the New York Yankees. Wednesday's injury news could help explain why the reliever hasn't been effective in August.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Yankees placed Cruz on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. The Athletic reported that the 36-year-old Cruz left the Yankees clubhouse on Tuesday night with a team trainer.

That observation came not long after Cruz surrendered a two-out, two-run home run as part of a 9-7 home loss to the Houston Astros.

Fernando Cruz has struggled in August for New York Yankees

While Cruz was a bright spot for the New York bullpen in the first half of the season, posting a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings over 30 games, August has been a disaster for the right-hander.

Including Tuesday night's home run, Cruz has posted an ERA of 6.75 in 8.0 innings over 10 games. He has also given up four home runs this month, compared to just three the entire season before the calendar turned to August.

While Cruz reportedly didn't mention any elbow pain talking to reporters after Tuesday night's loss, it's clear that something has been impacting him in recent games. A stint on the injured list could answer some questions about why he has regressed.

The injury comes at a time when the Yankees have a tough stretch of games this week against the Astros and Boston Red Sox in the Bronx. While the Yankees are in control of the top American League wild-card berth, they enter Wednesday's action just 1.5 games ahead of the Red Sox for that spot.

Fernando Cruz injury should lead to key question

Cruz being shelved also raises a question about his usage this season. While he has been an effective reliever for the Yankees before his August issues, Cruz has appeared in 61 games (54.2 innings) already this season, surpassing last year's total of 49 (48.0 innings) when he missed significant time with right shoulder inflammation and a left oblique injury. This season, he was on pace to establish a new career-high in innings pitches, topping the 66.2 frames he posted with the Cincinnati Reds in 2024.

While the usage and injury may be unrelated, it's clear that something has been impacting Cruz in recent games. Now the Yankees will not only have to wait to see when Cruz will return, but also just how effective he will be once he does recover.