As noted in our handy little ALCS Game 5 Live Blog, Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz was pulled from Wednesday’s game because of tightness in his left hamstring -- the same hamstring that forced him to the disabled list twice this year. He landed on the disabled list a third time with right hamstring problems.
For now, it appears the slugger will be fine for the rest of the postseason.
Cruz told MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez after Wednesday’s loss that he was pulled for precautionary reasons and that he should be good to go by Game 6 on Friday.
The 30-year-old is batting .378/.410/.838 with four home runs and five doubles over 37 at-bats in these 2010 playoffs. He is a monster at the plate and will play a crucial role in what will either be a horrible collapse or a joyous celebration in this ALCS with New York. The Rangers, as a franchise, have never been to the World Series and have only been to the playoffs four times since 1961.