Long-time designated hitter Nelson Cruz announced his retirement from professional baseball on The Adam Jones Podcast on Thursday. The 43-year-old Dominican slugger had a phenomenal 19-year big-league career that saw him make seven All-Star teams and win four Silver Slugger awards. Cruz finishes his illustrious career with 464 home runs, 1,325 RBI and 84 stolen bases in 2,055 regular-season games with the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. The Boomstick hit .245 (35-for-143) with five home runs and 23 RBI in 49 games in his final season with the Padres in 2023 before he was released in July.
The San Diego Padres officially released veteran designated hitter Nelson Cruz on Monday after they designated him for assignment last week. The Padres move to designate Cruz came as a surprise to many. The 43-year-old seven-time All-Star was hitting .245 (35-for-143) at the time with five home runs, five doubles, a triple, 23 RBI and nine runs scored in 49 games as a part-time designated hitter for the Friars, but he also wasn't an option at all defensively and had been striking out 30.3 percent of the time. The Boomstick began to show signs of sharp decline last year with the Washington Nationals, and this may be the end of the line for a player that had a Hall of Fame career.
The San Diego Padres designated veteran designated hitter Nelson Cruz for assignment on Tuesday. It comes as a bit of a surprise after Cruz had been serving as a pretty regular designated hitter for the Friars while mostly facing left-handed pitching. The 43-year-old Dominican is obviously past his prime and at the tail end of his illustrious major-league career, but he was holding his own with a .245 average (35-for-143) with five home runs, five doubles, a triple and 23 RBI in 49 games played. The Padres are looking to change things up as they head into the All-Star break of a very disappointing first half of the season. With Cruz out of the picture now, Rougned Odor should see an increase in playing time moving forward.
San Diego Padres designated hitter Nelson Cruz (hamstring) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday. The seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career, but he's clearly close to the end and is hitting .238 (25-for-105) with four doubles, one triple, only three home runs, 16 RBI and 36 strikeouts (four walks) in 36 games in his first year in San Diego in 2023. The Boomstick is recovering from a right-hamstring strain, but he could come off the 10-day injured list when he's eligible this weekend, barring a setback with the Chihuahuas. Cruz has mostly been splitting DH duties for the Friars with the left-handed hitting Matt Carpenter.
San Diego Padres designated hitter Nelson Cruz (hamstring) had some hamstring soreness after running out a grounder in Wednesday's loss to the Miami Marlins. Cruz wasn't in the starting lineup against a left-hander for the series finale on Thursday, and now we know why. But the 42-year-old veteran slugger just hasn't been very good at the plate this year, either, hitting just .238 (25-for-105) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs, 16 RBI and seven runs scored in 36 games played. He was even worse in May, going 5-for-39 (.128) with no homers or RBI and 16 strikeouts in 17 games. Don't be surprised if Cruz remains out of the starting lineup on Friday at home against the Chicago Cubs.
San Diego Padres designated hitter Nelson Cruz had a monster day at the plate Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, and six RBI in a 10-2 drubbing of the Atlanta Braves. Cruz has only played every second day for the Padres so far this season, but he now has a .350 AVG and 1.131 OPS in 20 at-bats. If he keeps hitting like this, the Padres will have no choice but to put him in the lineup regularly. The grizzled vet had eye surgery in the offseason and has spoken openly about how it has helped him track the ball better. It is certainly a situation to keep an eye on.
San Diego Padres veteran Nelson Cruz cranked three hits, going 3-for-5 and driving in two runs to top the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Friday. In his 19th season, the 42-year-old is proving that something remains in the tank. As a designated hitter, Cruz could be a valuable asset to the Padres and fantasy players this season as he is showing that he still has power in his swing like he has had his whole career.
San Diego Padres designated hitter Nelson Cruz is in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The 42-year-old sat out on Opening Day as Matt Carpenter served as the DH for that game. Now, Cruz gets the starting nod and is batting cleanup against left-hander Kyle Freeland on Friday. It's uncertain if this is going to be a straight platoon situation or if Cruz will get work against right-handed pitchers as well. Regardless, Cruz should be able to provide some value because of his tremendous power.
The San Diego Padres and free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal on Wednesday, pending a physical, according to sources familiar with the deal. Cruz wants to win a World Series ring and was willing to take less money to play for a contender. He is also familiar with general manager AJ Preller from their days in the Texas Rangers organization. Boomstick looked his age (42) in 2022 with the Washington Nationals, hitting .234/.313/.337 with only 10 home runs, 64 RBI, 50 runs scored, four stolen bases and a 23.6% strikeout rate. Cruz ended the year on the injured list and eventually needed surgery on his left eye, but he should be good to go for the start of the 2023 season. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect a whole lot from the seven-time All-Star in what is likely to be his final season, but he could provide some modest power numbers as a part-time DH in his new digs.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that the San Diego Padres are among the teams interested in free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz. Padres general manager AJ Preller and Cruz were both with the Texas Rangers organization earlier in their careers. The 42-year-old finally took a step back in 2022, slashing .234/.313/.337 with 10 home runs and 64 RBI in 507 plate appearances. However, until 2022, Cruz had managed to hit for elite power late into his career and still hit the ball harder than most during his down season. His DH-only eligibility limits his fantasy value beyond the potential production decline, but there may still be something left in the tank for Cruz.
