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Yankees Place Fernando Cruz on Injured List

8/27/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Yankees placed reliever Fernando Cruz on the 15-day injured list due to a partial UCL tear.
Manager Aaron Boone said Tommy John surgery could be an option for Cruz.
Cruz surrendered two runs, a Jeremy Pena home run, and a walk against the Astros on Tuesday.
After Cruz’s injury, the Yankees signed right-handed reliever Michael Fulmer.

History

Historical Context

In 1974 Dr. Frank Jobe performed the first successful Tommy John surgery on Dodgers pitcher Tommy John, showing a torn UCL could be repaired. The operation became common, with about one in seven MLB pitchers having it by 2012 and 35.3% of active pitchers in 2023. Today Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz faces a similar tear, leading Aaron Boone to consider the same procedure.

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Story summary

The Yankees placed reliever Fernando Cruz on the 15-day injured list due to a partial UCL tear.
Manager Aaron Boone said Tommy John surgery could be an option for Cruz.
Cruz surrendered two runs, a Jeremy Pena home run, and a walk against the Astros on Tuesday.
After Cruz’s injury, the Yankees signed right-handed reliever Michael Fulmer.

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