Yankees Pitcher Fernando Cruz on Injured List

Fernando Cruz, one of the Yankees’ standout pitchers, is set to be sidelined for a bit due to shoulder inflammation. The team placed him on the injured list this past Thursday.

Cruz mentioned that he recently received a cortisone shot and is aiming to return as quickly as possible, ideally for the minimum duration. Meanwhile, manager Aaron Boone expressed that he doesn’t believe the injury is “too significant.”

To fill Cruz’s spot, the Yankees have called up left-hander Brent Headrick for their series finale against the Bronx Rangers. It’s been a little while since Cruz last pitched; he hasn’t taken the mound since his outing on Saturday when he threw 26 pitches over one inning against the Mets.

Since joining the Yankees from the Reds, Cruz has been impressive, boasting a 2.66 ERA along with 35 strikeouts over 23 innings of work.

Interestingly, in the previous game on Wednesday, Boone opted for Ian Hamilton instead of Cruz, even after acknowledging the bullpen’s struggles during the Yankees’ victory.

Headrick has been performing decently, with a 3.72 ERA through eight games in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and a solid start, having thrown five scoreless innings since joining the Yankees last month. However, he did face some time away from action earlier due to oblique issues.