More bad news for Nelson Cruz: The Twins’ designated hitter was diagnosed with a ruptured ECU tendon in his left wrist on Friday and has been placed on the 10-day injured list, per an official announcement. Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Cruz will undergo further consultation with a specialist on Monday, after which the Twins might be able to better estimate his return date.
The 39-year-old DH appeared to re-injure his wrist while swinging the bat during Thursday’s 7-5 loss to the Indians. This will be his second stint on the IL due to wrist problems, as he sustained a similar injury back in May and missed three weeks of playing time as a result. While he told reporters he was “not feeling pain” in his wrist on Friday, it’s not yet clear whether he’ll be able to avoid another protracted absence from the team.
Injuries notwithstanding, it’s been an immensely successful year for the veteran slugger. Following Thursday’s appearance, he holds a .294/.384/.650 batting line with 32 home runs, 76 RBI, a 1.035 OPS, and 3.2 fWAR through 373 plate appearances. There’s no question the Twins will want him back in the lineup before the postseason kicks off this fall, but it’s unlikely that they’ll have any further clarity about the situation prior to Monday’s consultation.
With a vacant spot on the roster, the club recalled right-handed reliever Cody Stashak from Triple-A Rochester. Stashak, 25, is still feeling out his rookie campaign in Minnesota, where he’s issued five runs, zero walks, and nine strikeouts across his first 7 2/3 innings of relief.
