
Nelson Cruz Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 2" / 230 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 7/1/1980 (42)
- Experience
- 15
- College
- None
Nelson Cruz Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Nelson Cruz News
Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (back) was scratched from the starting lineup on Thursday night against the Miami Marlins due to back tightness. Skipper Dave Martinez said that Cruz is scheduled to get an MRI exam, which should give us a better idea of whether the veteran slugger will need a stint on the injured list. The 41-year-old made the All-Star team for the seventh time in his career last year, but he could finally be slowing down in his 18th MLB season. Cruz is slashing .247/.332/.361 with five home runs, 29 RBI, 26 runs scored and one stolen base in 222 plate appearances in 53 games. Yadiel Hernandez took over the DH duties on Thursday with Cruz out.
Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz was scratched from the starting lineup on Thursday against the Miami Marlins for undisclosed reasons. We'll update you when we receive word on why Cruz is now out of the lineup. Yadiel Hernandez will serve as the DH and bat sixth on Thursday against Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers. Cruz came into the day hitting .247/.332/.361 with five home runs, 29 RBI, 26 runs scored and a stolen base in 222 plate appearances over 53 games in his first year in D.C. Hernandez hasn't been bad this year with a .272 average, four homers, 23 RBI and two steals in 43 games, but he's gone 4-for-31 (.129) with 11 strikeouts in nine games over the last two weeks.
Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz (ankle) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the New York Mets. The veteran was hit in his left ankle by a pitch in Monday's game and the injury forced him to exit the contest. Cruz was riding a 10-game hitting streak prior to Monday's game, but he was unable to keep the streak intact as he went 0-for-1 along with reaching base on a hit-by-pitch. Over 46 games on the year, Cruz is slashing .237/.316/.343 with four home runs, 27 RBI and 23 runs.
Batting Order
1 | César Hernández |
2 | Juan Soto |
3 | Josh Bell |
4 | Nelson Cruz |
5 | Luis García |
6 | Keibert Ruiz |
7 | Yadiel Hernandez |
8 | Maikel Franco |
9 | Victor Robles |
Nelson Cruz Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | César Hernández |
2 | Juan Soto |
3 | Josh Bell |
4 | Nelson Cruz |
5 | Luis García |
6 | Keibert Ruiz |
7 | Yadiel Hernandez |
8 | Maikel Franco |
9 | Victor Robles |
Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was his usual, reliable self last season providing fantasy managers plenty of power in the shortened campaign. The 40-year-old's name littered MLB batting leaderboards as he was top-10 in baseball in OPS (.992), wOBA (.441), and wRC (164). That translated into 16 homers and 33 RBI as Cruz continued to be a fantasy asset despite DH-only eligibility. A look at Cruz's advanced metrics shows no sign of decline in his advanced age. Cruz's 15-percent barrel rate was top-seventh percentile in baseball, yet was still a drop from the league-leading 19.9-percent mark he put up in 2019. His 93 MPH average exit velocity over the last two seasons is elite and justifies his absurd .624 slugging percentage in that span. Omitting 2020, Cruz has at least 37 homers in every season since 2014 and cleared the 100 RBI mark four times. His role as an everyday DH has clearly helped fend off Father Time as Cruz has been a staple in a loaded Twins lineup. He re-signed in Minnesota for the 2021 season and will bat third or fourth for a lineup that will provide plenty of run and RBI opportunities. DH-only eligibility hurts his fantasy stock a little, but that is baked into his average draft position of 98th overall. Draft Cruz with confidence as a four-category contributor.