The long-shot chance of Fernando Cruz pitching again this season is now shot.
The Yankees transferred Cruz to the 60-day injured list on Friday, essentially ruling him out for the entire postseason after the reliever was trying to make a comeback from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament .
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Cruz said earlier this week he was "100 percent" ruling out surgery at this point, and hoped to become an option in the coming weeks if the Yankees advanced.
He was slated to throw a second bullpen session on Thursday, though it remains to be seen whether he will just shut it down now that his season is all but over.
The 36-year-old journeyman had emerged as an important part of the Yankees bullpen over the last two seasons, though he became less effective this summer as he tried to pitch through his elbow issues before finally getting imaging in late August that revealed the partial tear in the ligament that usually leads to Tommy John surgery.
"I'm not going to accept that — I'm not going to say I have a partial tear," Cruz said on Wednesday. "I'm not going to accept it. I had real good inflammation, real stiffness and irritation. People can say it's a partial tear, but in my heart, it's not a partial tear.
New York Yankees pitcher Fernando Cruz (63) reacts after Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña (3) scores on a two-run home run to tie the game in the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium in New York on August 25, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
"I'm gonna go through it. I'm gonna beat this."
The Yankees transferred Cruz to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Alexander Cornielle, whom they promoted to eat innings in Friday's doubleheader nightcap.
