Nelson Cruz underwent an X-ray that came back negative on his wrist. The ailment caused him to leave Sunday's game early, but he returned to the lineup Monday and finished 2-for-6.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been on a tear, and hopefully the wrist injury won't impact his power through the remainder of the season. He now has four straight multi-hit games with eight hits, six extra-base hits and nine RBI over that span.
Category: Injury Updates, Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz hit a pair of home runs Sunday before exiting early with wrist soreness. He's considered day-to-day.
Fantasy Impact: The injury is considered minor at this point, but more should be known today or tomorrow on the slugger's status. He continues to dominate pitchers, posting an OPS of .915 with 41 homers and 100 RBI on the season.
Category: , Injury Updates, Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz finished 2-for-5 with a double, home run, two runs scored, and four RBI on Friday against the Twins. Cruz is 5-for-23 with a double, home run, three runs scored, and four RBI over the last seven days. He has an .894 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz's huge game on Friday snapped a three-game hitless streak and, while posting three multi-hit games, he has been hitless in six of his last 10 games. He has a .299 batting average in September with six doubles, six home runs, 13 runs scored, and 17 RBI.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's victory over the Astros.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz continues to hammer away on the season. He has been especially hot over his last 15 games by batting .351 with four home runs and 12 RBI. Look for Cruz to continue his strong hitting all the way to the end of the season.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz finished 0-for-3 on Monday, drawing a walk against the Angels. Cruz is 8-for-27 with four doubles, four runs scored, and six RBI over the last seven days. He has an .889 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: This is the third hitless game in the last six games for Cruz, but he does have five multi-hit games in his last 10 games. Cruz is hitting .318 with four doubles, three home runs, eight runs scored, and 10 RBI in September.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz was 0-for-3 on Wednesday, but did drive in a run. Cruz is 8-for-25 with a double, three home runs, six runs scored, and six RBI over the last seven days. He has an .892 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz had a five-game hitting streak coming into Wednesday, including three consecutive multi-hit games, and now has an RBI in six consecutive games. He has 35 home runs and 85 RBI this season, putting him just off of pace for a 40 home run, 100 RBI season.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz is "battling" a sore hand and is out of the Mariners' lineup on Tuesday. (Source: Bob Dutton on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz had been hitless in his previous two games, so it's possible the sore hand had something to do with his poor performance. Monitor Cruz's status updates, and hopefully the minor issue won't keep him out more than one game.
Category: , Injury Updates
Nelson Cruz finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts last night. Cruz is 4-for-26 with an RBI and two runs scored over the last seven days. He has an .886 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz's cold streak has seen his batting average drop to .280, as he has four hitless games in his last seven games. He is hitting .252 with a triple, three doubles, six home runs, 11 RBI, and 17 runs scored this month.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz exited Wednesday's game due to back spasms. He's considered day-to-day. (Source: Matt Pentz on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: It seems like this was a precautionary measure by the Mariners. Cruz could be back in the lineup as soon as the weekend, if not Thursday's opener against the White Sox.
Category: , Injury Updates
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a double last night. Cruz is 8-for-27 with a double, two home runs, three RBI, and seven runs scored over the last seven days. He has a .914 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has scored a run in eight of his last 10 games and has six extra-base hits over the same time span. He has nine extra-base hits, eight RBI, and 13 runs scored this month, cementing his status as an OF2.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz finished 2-for-3 with a walk, home run, and two runs scored on Monday. Cruz is 10-for-24 with a double, triple, three home runs, four RBI, and five runs scored over the last seven days. He has a .917 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has hits in eight of his last 10 games and has five multi-hit games in his last seven games. He ranks fourth in the American League with 30 home runs, is on pace for 100 RBI, and is sixth in the American League with his .917 OPS.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz had a big night on Wednesday going 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a double.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is now up to 28 home runs and 72 RBI on the season. He has been hot over his last seven games batting .310 with one home run, three RBI, and four runs. He is capable of going off any given night so he is always a solid DFS play.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored against the Tigers on Monday. Cruz is 5-for-27 with two extra-base hits, two RBI, and three runs scored over the last seven days. He has an .887 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz was slumping a bit, with Monday's multi-hit game as his first of the month, and he now has 45 extra-base hits this season. He is a prototypical power hitter with 27 home runs and 70 RBI, both top-10 in the American League, while his .279 batting average will not harm fantasy owners either.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-to-1 victory over the Red Sox.
Fantasy Impact: The homer was the 27th for Cruz on the season and also his 69th RBI. Cruz continues to put up monster power numbers despite his age and he should continue to be a big power threat.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with one run and a two run homer in Sunday's extra-inning loss against the Cubs.
Fantasy Impact: Although the Mariners are 5-5 over their last 10 games, the 36-year-old is still proving he has power at the plate. He is slashing .333/.379/.637 over his last seven games with three homers and 10 RBI. Cruz has also had six multi-hit outings since July 17.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-4 with an RBI before exiting Tuesday's game due to a sore foot.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz fouled a balled off his foot early in the game and was laboring up until he was pulled in the seventh inning. Cruz may be given the night off on Wednesday as the Mariners have an off day on Thursday. The potential for two nights of rest should be good for Cruz to get healed up before taking on the Cubs.
Category: , Injury Updates, Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz has two multi-hit games in his mini three-game hitting streak, posting a .471 batting average over the last week. Cruz has a .293 batting average, six extra-base hits, five RBI, and nine runs scored this month. He has a .905 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Unfortunately for fantasy owners, Cruz's hot streak has been a bit of a compromise, as he only has one run scored along with no extra-base hits or RBI over the last week. Even though fantasy owners would look for more power, Cruz' batting average is now .287 to go along with his 23 home runs that rank sixth in the American League.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz only has one multi-hit game in July, posting a .243 batting average, but does have three doubles and three home runs this month. Cruz has five RBI and eight runs scored in July, maintaining his top-10 status in home runs and RBI. He has a .909 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is on pace for 40 home runs and 100 RBI, exactly what fantasy owners were buying when they drafted him, and has a passable .280 batting average this season. The Mariners have had a surprisingly decent offense this season, giving him an opportunity for both 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, keeping him as a top-15 OF.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz hit his 23rd home run of the season, a solo shot, in Thursday's loss to the Royals.
Fantasy Impact: While he hasn't had many multi-hit games of late, Cruz does now have three home runs in his last six games. His OPS is back up over .900, and he's providing the pop that many expected entering the season.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 12-to-6 win over the Orioles.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is now up to 21 home runs and 56 RBI on the season which both lead the Mariner hitters. Cruz is continuing to defy age as he remains one of the elite power options in both seasonal and DFS fantasy.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz homered for the second consecutive game, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz continues to produce of late, as he now has five extra-base hits, including four HRs, and seven RBI over his last five games. He continues to be an elite option, especially against LHP.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz collected one hit and scored a run in Monday's loss to the Tigers. Cruz also struck out twice.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has only been so-so by his standards in June. He's continuing to strike out at a rapid pace, as he now has two or more Ks in five of his last six games, with at least one strikeout in all but two games this month. Still, he's produced an OPS close to .900 with 16 HR and 46 RBI, and he continues to take a walk at a high rate.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz delivered big in Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Indians. He went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI, two runs scored, and a walk.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is now batting .298 with 15 home runs, 43 RBI, and 34 runs. He has found his power stroke of late as he has homered five times in his last seven games. After a slow start, Cruz is right back in the swing of things, and there aren't many better power options when he is going.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers on Sunday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz blasted a mammoth shot to straightaway center field. His home run today brought his total to 13 and he also has 40 RBI on the season. He has been especially hot over his last 15 games with a .309 batting average, four home runs, 12 RBI, and 11 runs.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with his 11th home run of the season in Thursday's win over the Padres.
Fantasy Impact: It marked the third multi-hit game in his last four played. He has his OPS back up over .900 with his recent stretch. The Mariners get a major ballpark upgrade, heading from San Diego to Texas for a weekend series against the Rangers.
Category: , Game Recaps
Although it was a bit overshadowed by Adam Lind's two home runs and six RBI, Nelson Cruz was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI, and a home run against the Athletics. Cruz has seen his batting average jump 28 points to .293 over the last 10 games and has six home runs and 18 RBI this month. He has a .917 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: The slugging Cruz has shown himself over the last weeks and he is fulfilling his OF1 promise. Cruz has hits in eight of his last 10 games and has seen his OPS go from .852 in April to .986 in May. He has never faced Pat Dean, the Twins' starter on Friday, and has a .822 OPS at home.
Category: , Game Recaps
Cruz went 1-for-4 with one strikeout, one walk, and one run scored.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz's power streak was brought to a little bit of a halt Saturday night. He did not hit for any extra base hits and he struggled a bit at the plate. Look for him to bounce back on Sunday against the Reds with Alfredo Simon (1-4 and a 10.34 ERA) getting the start against the Mariners.
Category: , Game Recaps
Cruz went 1-4 with an RBI single against the Orioles on Thursday night.
Fantasy Impact: Even after an uneventful night Thursday, Cruz has been playing well as of late. In the past week, he is batting .350 with 2 HRs, 8 RBI, with a ridiculous .458 OBP and 1.158 OPS.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and a run on Wednesday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has not been showing the big time power numbers this season so far, but he is batting .283. He also has eight home runs, 26 RBI, and 20 runs. Cruz has been a relatively cheap price in DFS as of late so now may be a good time to use him while his price is manageable.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs, and a walk.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been working his statistics back up after a slow start and now has six home runs and 19 RBI. Despite the bit of a slow start, Cruz remains one of the premier bats in baseball and is a strong play in DFS leagues on a daily basis.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz had Sunday afternoon's game off with a sore forearm. Cruz had started all 30 of the Mariners' games this season, but a hit by pitch on Friday lingered and Cruz sat against Houston. He has a .827 OPS this season. (Source: Seattle Times)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been very steady for fantasy owners this season, holding value as a second OF and smacking 11 extra-base hits. He has been hitless in six of his previous 10 games, but still has a strong .371 OBP this season. Expect his power numbers to boost as the summer draws nearer, but also remember that he had 50 home runs in April and May 2013-2015 and then 50 home runs in the next three months in total.
Category: , Injury Updates
Nelson Cruz went 0-for-3 with a walk in Friday's victory over the Royals.
Fantasy Impact: The entire Mariners lineup struggled as they only produced one hit. Cruz is now hitless in his last two games and holds a .262 batting average. He is does however have a healthy .351 OBP and his power has come along slowly. While he continues to get on track with the power, he has been providing production in other areas.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz finished 0-for-3 with a walk in the Mariners' 3-2 win over the Astros on Monday night. Cruz now has an .878 OPS in 73 at-bats this season.
Fantasy Impact: The hitting streak that Cruz came off of shows the full breath of Cruz's skills, as he clubbed two home runs and knocked in seven RBI to move his season totals to 10 extra-base hits and 12 RBI. Cruz has a .274 batting average and fantasy owners would buy an average of .270-.280 for a full season, assuming that Cruz is around his seasonal norms of 35-40 home runs and 100 or more RBI. He is a top power option in baseball and a high-tier OF2.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a walk in Thursday's extra innings victory over the Indians.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is batting a respectable .271. However the bigger issue is his power stroke as he has only sent two balls out for home runs to start the year. Some might say that his age is finally catching up to him but you have to give him some time before declaring anything that drastic.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts against the Indians on Wednesday night. The Mariners' slugger has a .826 OPS this season.
Fantasy Impact: Wednesday's game gives Cruz a hit in eight of his last 10 games, but he has been held without an extra base hit, run scored, or RBI over the last three games. After posting four multi-hit games over his previous six games, Cruz only has two hits in his last three games, seeing his batting average drop to .259. Cruz has yet to show his power stroke from the past, as he only has two home runs this season, but he does have six doubles this season. The doubles will turn into home runs for this OF1 and fantasy owners will see 35-40 home runs from the 35-year-old rightfielder.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a RBI.
Fantasy Impact: His double in the fifth drove in Robinson Cano for the go-ahead and eventual game winning run. Cruz is starting to pick it up at the plate as he has raised his average to .279. Driving in runs has been a problem so far however as he has five RBI and just two home runs. It is a good sign to see Cruz hitting for extra-bases and the home runs are surely going to follow.
Category: , Game Recaps
It has been an up and down start to the 2016 season for Nelson Cruz, but he does have three doubles and two home runs for the Mariners and has four walks and only four strikeouts. He does only have a .229 batting average in 35 at-bats after back-to-back hitless nights.
Fantasy Impact: Fantasy owners looked to add Cruz for his power, and his .486 slugging percentage is more than acceptable, but he was also a .302 hitter in 2015, so fantasy owners were looking for a more complete performance than this from Cruz. The high batting average for Cruz in 2015 could be an outlier, though, as he batted no better than .271 in any of the previous four seasons. He is a top-10 OF with his power alone and can be trusted for 35-40 home runs.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk.
Fantasy Impact: The Mariners only put one run on the board in a 10-inning loss to the Athletics. Cruz has come out of the gates slowly with only one home run and one RBI. He did raise his average to .261 and the power is surely going to come soon.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-4 in Saturday's loss to the Athletics.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has gotten off to a slow start, as he is batting just .211 with one home run and one RBI. Despite having two plus-match ups the last two games, Cruz has gone just 1-for-8. The Boom Stick will breakout eventually and it can't come soon enough, as the Mariners are scuffling on offense right now.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz singled for his only hit in Wednesday's victory over the Rangers. Overall, he went 1-for-5.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is batting .273 in the young season with one home run and three RBI. He may still be finding his groove at the plate after missing some Spring action. He is going to be better than he was on Wednesday most nights so do not be scared away from him in daily fantasy leagues.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 0-for-3 with a walk in a loss to the Rangers on Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz struggled to make good contact at the plate against Cole Hamels. His spring was shortened due to knee soreness and it may take him a bit longer to get into the swing of things at the plate. As long as he is healthy and batting in the middle of a solid Mariners lineup, he should once again be one of the best power options in fantasy.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz is starting to hit a little better by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and his first double of the Spring.
Fantasy Impact: This performance brought Cruz's average up to .152. He also saw time at right field in this one as he will play around 50 games in the outfield this season. Despite the slow Spring, Cruz is locked in as one of the game's biggest power threats and should be picked within the first three to four rounds in fantasy leagues.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz has struggled this spring after his 1-for-3 performance today brought his average up to .056.
Fantasy Impact: This is really nothing to be worried about as Cruz is still finding his stroke at the plate. He started the spring with a small setback with knee soreness and that may explain his slow start out of the gates. Cruz is still worthy of a third round selection and expect him to be one of the premier sluggers in baseball.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz has been held hitless this spring over seven at-bats. His debut was delayed due to a sore knee.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has nothing to prove this spring other than the fact he's healthy. After hitting 40 home runs with the Orioles in 2014 and moving to a much more pitcher-friendly park over that offseason, he managed to improve upon his career year. Cruz posted an OPS of .936 with 44 HRs and 93 RBI. Our experts like him to return value at his current ADP of 39. He projects to once again reach the 30-HR, 100-RBI mark.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz will sit out the Mariners Cactus League opener with a sore knee. Manager Scott Servais said that the injury is not serious but he may miss a few games. (Source: Greg Johns on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The report is that the soreness is very minor and the Mariners are just being cautious with their slugger. Cruz is a guy the Mariners need in the lineup everyday and will not push him over the course of Spring Training in order to keep him fresh and ready to go for the season opener.
Category: , Injury Updates
Mariners manager Scott Servais noted that Nelson Cruz would likely see more time as the designated hitter this season. (Source: Tacoma News Tribune)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz enjoys playing the field and seems to perform better at the plate when he does. However, the Mariners have Nori Aoki, Leonys Martin, Franklin Gutierrez, and Seth Smith that will man the outfield the majority of the time. The most important thing for the Mariners is to keep Cruz healthy and using him at designated hitter is the most obvious option to accomplish that goal. He will still see some time in the outfield but it is unlikely he plays in the field more than he did in 2015 (80 games). Cruz proved that his power travels well to all parks and is a solid high-end fantasy outfielder, especially for owners who seek power production.
Nelson Cruz followed up and 0-for-4 performance on Sunday with another 0-for-4 night on Monday. To make matters worse he struck out in all four plate appearances.
Fantasy Impact: Despite the last couple of games Cruz has been fantasy elite. Even with missing some time due to injury he has racked up 43 home runs, 90 RBI, 88 R, and has batted .304. He has crushed every expectation the Mariners had for him when they signed him and he will be an early round selection in fantasy drafts in 2016.
Category: , Game Recaps
Mariners OF/DH Nelson Cruz went 0 for 4 against the Angels on Sunday. He did score a run, salvaging his otherwise bad day. (Source: ESPN)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been a delight for owners this season. He is currently tied for the MLB lead with home runs with 43. He is certainly a good bet to hit at least one more homer before the season ends.
Category: , Game Recaps
After being held out of the lineup earlier last week, Nelson Cruz returned on Thursday, and has since gone 5-for-12 with two home runs and five runs batted in.
Fantasy Impact: While the Mariners and Orioles have little to play for in the waning games of 2015, watching to home run battle between Chris Davis and Nelson Cruz should be spectacular fun. Cruz is fully healthy after missing eight days and is ready to mash.
Category: , Injury Updates, Game Recaps
The Mariners held Nelson Cruz out of their lineup again on Monday. The slugger continues to recover from a quad injury. (Source: Seattle Times)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz told reporters that he's hopeful he'll be ready to return soon. Owners should monitor, as he feels he'll be able to DH in the next few days.
Category: , Injury Updates
Nelson Cruz homered for the second consecutive game, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been putting together his best month yet in August, posting an OPS of 1.265. He's been extremely solid, besides his lackluster June, posting an OPS over 1.000 in every other month.
Category: , Game Recaps
Wed, Aug 19th 7:48pm EDT
By John Trupin
The Mariners slugger has been the lone bright spot in the team's offense for much of the season and has stayed hot through August, following up his league-leading 21-game hitting streak by reaching base in 30 consecutive games.
Fantasy Impact: With the weather heating up, Cruz appears capable of matching with heat of his own. The RF/DH is slashing .367/.449/.883 in the month of August with nine HR and should continue to start for owners down the stretch.
Category: , Game Recaps
The AL home run leader sat out Tuesday's game with tightness in his neck and was held out on Wednesday as a precaution. After Thursday's off day, Cruz says "it's much better already, I'll be playing Friday, for sure." (Source: Tacoma News Tribune)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has historically faded late in the season and has come up on a number of hindering injuries. However, he has had a number of similar issues with his back and neck this season and returned after a few days with no seeming ill effects. If Cruz is in the Mariners lineup, he should be starting in yours.
Category: , Injury Updates
Mon, Aug 10th 3:20am EDT
By John Trupin
Nelson Cruz hit his 33rd home run of the season Sunday against Texas, tying Mike Trout for the league lead. Cruz extended his 17-game hitting streak, as well as his nine-game XBH streak.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is on a tear right now and is showing no signs of letting up. While he has historically faded somewhat down the stretch, he has tied his career high for home runs in August with six home runs in only eight games so far. Ride him with confidence the rest of the season.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with a single, a double, and two runs scored against the Rockies on Wednesday. He also walked and struckout once, and stole a base.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz snapped his five-game HR streak, and decided to show off some speed on Wednesday instead. Cruz is now sixth overall on the player rater, and would potentially be the front-runner for AL MVP if it wasn't for some guy named Mike Trout.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with a walk, a strikeout, a single, and a solo-HR against the Rockies on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has a 15-game hitting streak going now, to go with the five-game home run one (his second such HR streak this season). Cruz is ninth in the majors in batting average at .323, and is second only to Mike Trout in homers with 31.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 3-for-4 with a walk, two singles, and a solo-HR against the Rockies on Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been crushing the ball even more than usual lately, now with four straight games with a homer, and 30 overall. Cruz also has had multi-hit efforts in every game during that stretch, batting a ludicrous .688. Cruz is on pace to almost match his runs (87) and RBI (108) from last season, but he is likely to surpass his HR total (40), and smash his avg (.271).
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 4-for-5 with two singles, a double, and a two-run homer against the Twins on Friday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz finished July off with a bang, blasting his 27th homer, tying him for sixth in MLB. Cruz had a disappointing June, but returned to being a fantasy monster in July, batting .336 with a 1.011 OPS, eight homers, 17 RBI, and 16 runs. Fantasy owners should ride him all the way to the finish.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with a RBI-single and a two-run HR against the Blue Jays on Sunday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz continues to mash in the month of July, batting at a .330 clip this month, with six homers, and 14 runs and RBI. Cruz led the league last year with 40 homers, and that number is well within reach for him this season, along with surpassing the 100 RBI mark (currently at 60).
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with a single and a two-run HR against the Padres on Wednesday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz started July off with a bang, hitting his 20th home run of the season which ties him for 7th in MLB. Cruz is somehow on pace to top last season's amazing output, as his average is much higher (currently .307, .271 in '14), and the RBI and homers are right on track.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, and a RBI against the Angels on Friday.
Fantasy Impact: The RBI was the 45th for Cruz, tying him for 20th in MLB. However, while the multi-hit effort was nice, Cruz has struggled mightily in June. He's batting .234 on the month with only one homer and seven RBI. Keep Cruz active in all formats, but he might need the All-Star Break to get back to normal.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-2 with two singles, two walks, a RBI, and a run scored against the Astros on Friday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz hasn't been the same player in June that he was earlier in the season, batting .246 with no home runs and only four RBI so far this month. Friday's game was a small reminder of his potential, even though the hits were just singles. Keep him active in all formats and hope for a resurgence.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz was kept out of the lineup on Wednesday due to back spasms. (Source: ESPN)
Fantasy Impact: Cruz was available to pinch hit which seems to indicate that it isn't too serious of an issue, but just precautionary because of the tightness the slugger felt in his back in the previous game. Monitor to see if Cruz is active for Thursday's game, but he should return to your fantasy lineup soon.
Category: , Injury Updates
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-5 with a RBI-single, a walk, and two strikeouts against the Yankees on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has cooled off just a bit lately, but the RBI has him tied for fifth in the majors, so his star power is still going strong even when he's not blasting homers.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo-HR on Friday against the Blue Jays.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz continues to be a monster in real and fantasy baseball, crushing to the tune of a .354 average, and now a ridiculous 17 homers. He's in a battle with Bryce Harper (currently at 16) for the league lead, but even if he doesn't win it, Cruz remains one of the hottest players in MLB.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz went 1-for-3 with a single, two walks, and a run scored against the Orioles on Thursday. He also struckout twice.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz has been amazing this year, second only to Bryce Harper on the player rater, and even on a middling day he manages to produce. Cruz is in the top three in batting average, homers, and RBIs, and should be active in all fantasy formats, including daily as his consistency is incredible.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz went 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the San Diego Padres. Cruz leads the majors with 15 home runs and ranks second in the AL with 29 RBI.
Fantasy Impact: The solo shot snapped a rare five-game homer drought for Cruz, who still leads the majors in long balls by a healthy margin. Cruz wasn't the only one to get in the action on Tuesday, as the Mariners totaled six home runs. There's no reason to be sitting Cruz in any format at the moment.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz went 2-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk and a run in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Oakland Athletics. Cruz remains tied for second in the majors in RBI, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins.
Fantasy Impact: A rare four-game homerless drought hasn't lowered Cruz's fantasy value at all, as he keeps on producing. Cruz is one of the top three or four fantasy scorers in any format.
Category: , Game Recaps
Tue, May 5th 1:20am EDT
By Jordan Coover
Nelson Cruz stayed hot at the plate Monday, driving in his 14th home run of the season. It was a solo shot in the top of the seventh inning that gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead at that point in the game. This was his lone hit of the night and he did strikeout twice.
Fantasy Impact: You are getting a great return on your investment if you were smart enough to draft Cruz this year. He has been on a ridiculous pace and has 26 RBI already just one month into the season. Cruz was also named AL player of the month for April. This was the first time he has received this honor, and it was well deserved.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz went 2-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers. Cruz is tied fore the major league lead with 10 home runs.
Fantasy Impact: This was Cruz's most impressive home run yet, as it landed in the second deck in Arlington and measured 483 feet, the longest homer of the season. Obviously Cruz needs to be started in any format, as he's having the type of season that could carry fantasy owners to a championship.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz went 1-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was Cruz's ninth home run and 18th RBI of the season, both of which lead the majors.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz continues his ridiculous tear with no signs of slowing down, as all nine home runs and 18 RBI have come in a span of 12 games. Fantasy owners should obviously be starting him, and Cruz is a must-have in daily games right now as well.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners outfielder/designated hitter Nelson Cruz went 1-4 with an RBI in a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.
Fantasy Impact: While it's nothing compared to what we've been seing out of Cruz the past few games, at least he got a couple of points Wednesday. Cruz leads the majors in home runs and RBIs, meaning he clearly needs to be started on a daily basis. Hopefully Seattle's off day on Thursday doesn't cool him off any.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz continued his hot streak in a loss to the Houston Astros on Monday night, going 2-5 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Cruz has now hit safely in his last nine games.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is on an almost unbelievable tear over those nine games, going 16-28 with eight home runs and 16 RBI. Such a pace obviously can't continue, but fantasy owners need to be starting Cruz daily now and likely for the rest of the season.
Category: , Game Recaps
The 2014 MLB leader in home runs has been absolutely lethal to start the season, already hitting his fifth home run of the year. Nelson Cruz has done this all in the last four games. Over that span Cruz also has six runs, eight RBI, seven hits and has drawn three walks.
Fantasy Impact: This has been much needed for the Mariners and fantasy owners. Cruz started the year slowly before this four game stretch. The home runs will continue to come from the powerful right handed bat.
Category: , Game Recaps
Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz went 2-4 with two home runs and 3 RBI in Monday's loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fantasy Impact: Any concerns about Cruz's slow start should be gone, as he has homered in three straight games. Cruz appeared in right field for the fifth time this season in addition to two starts at DH, so fantasy owners should be playing him on an everyday basis.
Category: , Game Recaps
Mon, Apr 13th 12:24am EDT
By Jordan Coover
Nelson Cruz played hero in the 8-7 win against the Athletics, blasting a home run to left field off Tyler Clippard in the 10th inning. Cruz also had one strikeout, and one walk in the game. This was also the second straight game that Cruz has hit a home run.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz lead the MLB in home runs last year with 40, so this is a good sign that he is hitting them early on this season. The major knock on Cruz coming into the season was that his home run numbers would be down thanks to the unfriendly Safeco Field, which is not a hitters park. Cruz has still yet to hit a home run at Safeco this season, but his power has already been put on display early this year.
Category: , Game Recaps
Nelson Cruz had a solid day at the plate on Saturday against the Cubs. He went 1-1 with a home run, one RBI, and also walked once.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz was the marquee acquisition for a surging Seattle Mariners ball club. He will be sandwiched between Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager and be counted on to provide some much needed punch. He likely won't replicate the 40+ home runs he had in Baltimore in 2014 but he should still provide very good power for fantasy owners this year.
Category: , Game Recaps
ESPN's Enrique Rojas is reporting that free agent OF/DH, Nelson Cruz and the Seattle Mariners have agreed in principal to a 4-year, $57 million dollar contract. According to the Dominican newspaper Rojas cites, Cruz is scheduled to leave for the United States shortly for a physical and to finalize the deal. (Source: ESPN)
Fantasy Impact: The change in ballpark could have some effect on the raw home run totals, but make no mistake about it, Cruz's power is elite and will play in any ballpark. A return to 40-home runs was unlikely regardless of his home ballpark, if for no other reason than the fact he's only had two seasons in which he's registered more than 475 at-bats. Presumably Cruz will hit 4th in the Mariners' lineup, between Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager, giving the slugger ample opportunity for runs and RBI. Cruz will continue to be a very reliable power source heading into the 2015 season.
