NEW YORK – Fernando Cruz was standing in a Dave & Buster’s arcade this past December when he received word that he’d been traded from the Reds to the Yankees, calling them his “dream team.”
Amid the sensory overload of lights, sirens and Pop-A-Shot machines, Cruz’s wife Omaley and their four children nearly closed the place down that night -- a celebration that carried into the first month-plus of Cruz’s dominant Bronx debut.
That party is now paused, but Cruz and the Yankees believe it’ll be just a brief timeout.
Having reported that his shoulder was barking during his most recent appearance against the Mets on Saturday, the 35-year-old Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday (retroactive to Monday) with right shoulder inflammation.
“They told me they’re going to be aggressive with it,” Cruz said. “Now I’m getting back to strengthening it and getting it ready. Hopefully the next days will be better, and I will be back strong for the most important stages of the season.”
In a corresponding move, the Yankees recalled left-hander Brent Headrick from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Cruz said that he had been dealing with the issue for about three weeks before the Mets outing, when he permitted Francisco Lindor’s decisive sacrifice fly. An MRI did not reveal any significant concerns, but Cruz received a cortisone injection, the effects of which he said “put my arm in a weak position.”
The Yankees will have Cruz travel to the West Coast with them. He resumed tossing on Thursday, covering a distance between 60 and 75 feet. Cruz said he expects to be activated when eligible on June 3.
Wielding a splitter that bullpen coach Mike Harkey called “the best I’ve ever seen,” Cruz has been a key piece of the Bombers’ bullpen, posting a 2.66 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 21 appearances. Cruz has struck out 35 batters in 23 2/3 innings.
“I’m a little frustrated; it’s a little disappointing,” Cruz said. “But I think it’s the best option for the team, for me to be able to be strong and ready for what’s coming.”
Cruz’s absence could mean more important innings for Jonathan Loáisiga, who has hurled 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances since being activated from the injured list prior to Friday’s Subway Series opener. Loáisiga’s return bolsters a late-inning mix headlined by Luke Weaver, Devin Williams and Mark Leiter Jr.
Headrick, 27, earned a spot on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster and did not allow a run across 5 1/3 innings, spanning four relief appearances. Headrick notched multiple strikeouts in three of those outings. In Triple-A, he was 2-0 with a 3.72 ERA in eight games out of the RailRiders’ bullpen.
“His stuff plays better in smaller, one- to three-inning bursts,” manager Aaron Boone said of Headrick. “We feel like he can give us a couple of innings.”