Aaron Boone spoke before the game to reporters, providing injury updates on various players including Fernando Cruz, whom the Yankees could see sooner rather than later.
The long-time New York manager told reporters that the right-hander could return to the team at some point in August, although a specific timeline has yet to be mapped out yet.
Diagnosed with a high-grade oblique strain earlier this summer, the Yankees lost one of their best bullpen arms once again, a blow that they haven’t been able to recover from.
This season the Yankee bullpen has a 4.08 ERA, but if they can get Cruz at some point in the next month, he could provide a massive boost to this pitching staff.
Yankees Are Eyeing August For a Potential Fernando Cruz Return
With a 3.00 ERA and 41.2% K%, Fernando Cruz had been arguably the Yankees’ best reliever this season, and the hope is that he can return next month.
The Yankees’ bullpen has been in shambles, as their relievers have combined for a -0.4 fWAR, 5.68 ERA, and 5.55 FIP since the since the start of June.
Devin Williams has been brilliant with a 1.84 ERA and no home runs allowed, but their second-most valuable reliever by WAR has been Cruz, who ha appeared in just 11 games.
Luke Weaver (8.64 ERA), Jonathan Loaisiga (6.11 ERA), and Mark Leiter Jr. (6.30 ERA) were all expected to be key contributors for the Yankees, but in that timespan they’ve been highly ineffective.
READ MORE: The Yankees have one ‘untouchable’ prospect at the trade deadline
The Yankees are expected to add multiple pitchers at this year’s trade deadline, and this bullpen is expected to be taxed even more in the upcoming week as they’ll use a bullpen game tonight with six-straight games to play.
It comes as a result of Cam Schlittler, their top pitching prospect, having bicep discomfort which required an MRI.
The imaging came back clean, but the team opted to push him back a start in fear of reaggravating the soreness by pushing him too hard.
Atlanta, which hosted the All-Star Game this past week, will now host the Yankees for a three-game weekend series starting tonight at 7:15 PM EST.
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