For now the Mariners are saying it’s a minor issue, but designated hitter/outfielder Nelson Cruz will not be in the lineup Wednesday for the team’s first spring training game due to a left knee injury.
Greg Johns of MLB.com reports that Cruz “has been kept out of extra running and outfield work due to soreness in his legs.” However, the reigning MLB home run champion said merely that “my knee was bugging me a little bit.”
Cruz is 35 years old and hasn’t always been the most durable player, but he played in 152 games for the Mariners last season and 159 games for the Orioles in 2014.