Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz left Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Indians after being injured in a fifth-inning at-bat.
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Cruz Leaves vs. Indians
Tuesday, June 9
Cruz was injured after swinging through a pitch by Indians starter Corey Kluber. Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reported back spasms were the culprit. Dustin Ackley entered the game and then drew a walk.
Cruz finished the game 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
A likely All-Star starter, Cruz is hitting .326/.381/.607 with 18 home runs and 39 RBI. He's second behind only Giancarlo Stanton and Bryce Harper for the MLB lead in home runs and is fifth in the AL in runs batted in. The Mariners have struggled despite Cruz's production, ranking 29th in runs scored and sitting near the bottom in nearly every major category.
Losing Cruz for any extended period would be a frustrating blow for a Seattle team that's already underperformed expectations. The Mariners are eight games behind division-leading Houston despite upping their payroll for the second straight offseason.
Ackley would continue to see a majority of work in right field if Cruz can't be in the lineup. He's hitting .197/.246/.331 with four home runs and 11 RBI on the season. Suffice it to say the Mariners are banking on this being a short-term absence.
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