Fernando Cruz, the Yankees’ setup man, is staring down a partially torn UCL. This isn’t good. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed the diagnosis on Thursday, and Tommy John surgery is a real possibility. Either way, Cruz’s season is almost certainly done, and a lengthy absence is guaranteed even if he dodges the knife.
The Fireman Is Out: What Cruz Meant For That Bullpen
Man, this is a gut punch for the Bronx Bombers. Cruz, at 36, has been their fireman this season, the guy who’d come into a jam and just escape. He was solid overall, posting a 3.13 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP across 54.2 innings, racking up 67 strikeouts against 32 walks. Here’s the kicker: he led MLB by stranding an incredible 40 of 46 inherited runners, an 87% rate compared to the 68% league average. That’s insane. He did stumble recently, even giving up a game-tying two-run homer on Tuesday, but losing that clutch performance is huge. Now that high-leverage role is wide open.
Scrambling for Arms: The Deadline Haunts Them
You gotta wonder what they were thinking at the trade deadline. They didn’t add any bullpen help, and now it’s biting them hard. They even traded away depth relievers Jake Bird and Yovanny Cruz for Luis Gárcia Jr., which left them short. To fill the void, they signed veteran righty Michael Fulmer, who the Angels had just released, and called up journeyman Justin Topa. This is Topa’s fourth organization this year, so you know he’s been around. Boone didn’t mince words, telling MLB.com that Fulmer and Topa are “probably going to jump into the deep end” and “on any given day, they’re going to find themselves in leverage situations.” Talk about pressure!
Top-Heavy and Tired?
Despite recent injury blows, the Yankees’ bullpen still ranks second in ERA (3.04) and third in expected ERA (3.49). That’s impressive. But it’s a super top-heavy unit. Closer David Bednar and setup guys Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick have been absolutely ridden. Headrick leads all of baseball in appearances this season (68) and since the All-Star break (21). Blackburn is fourth in second-half appearances (19). That’s a ton of innings on those arms, and now with Cruz out, plus Kervin Castro also dealing with a likely season-ending nerve issue, those guys are gonna get leaned on even harder. Angel Chivilli is on a throwing program for bone spurs and might be back mid-to-late September, but that’s a lot of “maybes.” At this point, the best they can do is scour “scrap heap types” like Fulmer.
So, the Yankees have some serious questions about how they’re going to navigate the rest of the season with their bullpen depth stretched so thin. It’s clear their quiet deadline has made things a whole lot tougher as they look ahead.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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