Mariners notebook: Nelson Cruz will play through wrist pain
Sep 26, 2016, 5:01 PM | Updated: 5:14 pm
HOUSTON – It is that time of year. Dings, dents and major pain do not factor into the equation for the Mariners’ Nelson Cruz, not with meaningful games left to play.
“I am going to play regardless of what it is,” he said of pain he is experiencing in his left wrist. “But I definitely want to know what’s going on.”
Cruz had an MRI on his left wrist Monday morning in Houston but told the media that afternoon he was awaiting the results. What he knows is he felt pain in his wrist swinging a weighted bat in the finale against Toronto last Wednesday. It flared up again on a swing in his second at-bat of Sunday’s game against the Twins. He stepped out of the box, had the trainer massage it and was able to step back in and hit a home run.
That was the end of his game, however. The medical staff told manager Scott Servais it was best to take him out so they could get to work on Cruz’s wrist in hopes he would be available Monday.
“Hopefully he’s OK today,” Servais said. “We won’t know for 100 percent certainty until we get out there. You will probably see some swings where he grimaces, you will probably see a little bit longer time for him to get into the box. Hopefully he can gut it out.”
Cruz, who was wearing a brace on the wrist hours before the game, will limit his swings that don’t count.
“I just want to stay loose, not try to do to much,” he said. “I guess taking BP at this point is not necessary, especially with what I am dealing with.”
The biggest thing he is dealing with right now is pain when he swings. With the team in contention, he will swing through it.
“It is something he is going to try to have to manage, see if he can play through it,” Servais said. “Hopefully it doesn’t get worse.”
Notes
• Tacoma Rainiers manager Pat Listach, who lives in the Houston area, has joined the team for the three-game series against the Astros. He could bring a little extra intel as he was the third base coach in Houston in 2014. “We had our staff meeting earlier before the game and we talked about some of these guys,” he said on the radio pregame show. “I am pretty familiar with most of the guys who are still here from two years ago. I have some inside information on these guys.” All hands on deck…
• Jerry Dipoto has added to his staff once again, naming Scott Hunter the director of amateur scouting. Hunter, who just completed his 22nd year in professional baseball, has spent the last three years with the Mariners as international crosschecker.
• The Mariners also announced today that they have renamed their minor league awards. The awards are now known as the Ken Griffey Jr. Minor League Hitter of the Year Award, the Jamie Moyer Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award, the Edgar Mariners PTPA (Productive Team Plate Appearance) Award, The Alvin Davis “Mr. Mariner” Award, the Dan Wilson Minor League Community Service Player of the Year Award and the Dave Henderson Minor League Staff Member of the Year Award. They will all be presented at a pregame ceremony before Saturday’s game against Oakland.
