TORONTO – Two key Yankees have been undergoing medical evaluations in recent days, with reliever Fernando Cruz landing on the injured list with a left oblique strain and catcher Austin Wells undergoing testing after experiencing a circulatory issue in his left index finger.
Cruz sustained the injury during a medicine ball workout in the weight room prior to Sunday’s game against the Athletics, according to manager Aaron Boone. An MRI was performed Monday morning in New York to assess the severity of the strain.
“It was pretty painful for him,” Boone said before Monday night’s game against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. “Hopefully, it’s not too long and we’ll get him back, just a little fresher for the rest of the way.”
This marks Cruz’s second trip to the IL this season; he was out from May 22 to June 3 with a right shoulder strain. In 32 games, the 35-year-old Cruz has posted a 3.00 ERA with two saves, striking out 54 batters in 33 innings.
The situation regarding Wells has been less clear. Wells did not appear in two of the Yankees’ three games over the weekend against the Athletics.
Boone said Monday that Wells has been undergoing testing after reporting an intermittent cold sensation in his left index finger. That prompted an invasive procedure during Sunday’s game involving an artery near his groin, intended to rule out a blood clot or aneurysm.
All results thus far have been encouraging, said Boone, who likened Wells’ issue to one that catcher Ben Rortvedt experienced during Spring Training with the Yankees in 2023.
“I think we’ve done all the due diligence to make sure he’s in a good spot,” Boone said. “Everything we’ve gotten back has been good so far. … It’s not something that bothers him playing. On certain days, it’s almost like a cold feeling. Every now and then, he has days where it just doesn’t have a lot of circulation in there.”
Because of the most recent tests, Boone said he does not expect Wells to play until Wednesday. J.C. Escarra is slated to catch Monday and Tuesday against Toronto.
Though Boone said the circulation issue has not affected Wells’ batting or fielding, he said Wells has looked “a little off to me” recently at the plate. Wells is slashing .214/.275/.424 this season with 13 doubles, one triple, 11 homers and 45 RBIs in 69 games.
“He’s probably been chasing a little more than he’s used to,” Boone said. “I think it all starts with getting started into your strong hitting position on time. When he does that, we know what he’s capable of.”
To replace Cruz in the bullpen for Monday’s game, the Yankees signed right-hander Geoff Hartlieb to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster.
Hartlieb, 31, had a 3.34 ERA in 24 appearances spanning 35 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He has seen big league time with the Pirates (2019-21), Mets (’21), Marlins (’23) and Rockies (’24).
“He did some really good things in [the] spring,” Boone said. “He was definitely a guy that stood out, like, ‘This guy is going to be able to help us this year.’”