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Why Fernando Cruz wants to pitch again this season for Yankees despite UCL tear
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- Why Fernando Cruz wants to pitch again this season for Yankees despite UCL tear
Why Fernando Cruz wants to pitch again this season for Yankees despite UCL tear originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
When the New York Yankees revealed that right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz had a UCL tear in his throwing elbow, many assumed the worst.
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Naturally, the expectation was that Cruz would undergo Tommy John Surgery and sit out the rest of this season and the entirety of 2027.
Not so fast.
Cruz is determined to take the mound once again this season for the Yankees.
"Fernando Cruz says he's going to put off surgery and try to pitch again this season," The Athletic's Brendan Kuty reported. "Got a cortisone shot. Doctor cleared him to forego surgery."
At this point, Cruz has nothing to lose by attempting to make a comeback. If he opts to have surgery, his Major League career could be over.
Cruz will turn 37 next March, and surgery would eliminate the odds of returning to the Yankees next season.
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"With only three weeks to go until the postseason, it will be Nestor Cortes-esque (read: extremely difficult) for Cruz to return and make any sort of impact," Adam Weinrib of Yanks Go Yard wrote.
"After the way he finished the first portion of his season - 11 1/3 innings, nine runs, four homers after allowing just 12 runs and two homers in his first 41 frames - the Yankees are going to want to watch him in-game action (preferably not high-leverage) before including him in any postseason conversations , let alone rosters," Weinrib added.
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The Yankees have to be sure that Cruz is capable of being healthy and effective before making a drastic decision.
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Obviously, this is not how either side would want his Yankees tenure to finish.
But Cruz is determined to give it another chance, even if he puts his future in professional baseball at risk.
