The 2026 MLB season is entering a decisive stretch, and the New York Yankees cannot afford to let up. Unfortunately for Aaron Boone, Fernando Cruz hasn’t been at his best, but the reliever himself made it clear that any player can go through a stretch like this.
“It’s just that part of the year,” Cruz said via the New York Daily News. “This is a marathon. There’s ups and downs, like every player has.” His physical fatigue became a topic of discussion, although the player himself completely dismissed that possibility.
“Yeah, I’m feeling good,” he revealed regarding this rumors. “I mean, every player has the battles with their bodies and stuff, but we’re gonna be good.” Cruz is confident he can turn things around in the near future, as the Bronx Bombers will undoubtedly need every player performing at their best to have a shot at the title.
Cruz’s recent struggles
Fernando Cruz has been hitting a rough patch out of the bullpen recently. Over his last 19 innings pitched, the right-hander has surrendered nine earned runs, issued 11 passes, and given up four home runs, with a particularly tough 12.2-inning stretch accounting for seven of those runs, nine walks, and four long balls.
Fernando Cruz #63 of the New York Yankees pitches during the fifth inning.
The struggle carried right into Tuesday’s matchup against Houston Astros, where he gave up a game-tying, two-run blast to Jeremy Peña in the sixth frame of an eventual 9-7 loss for New York.
New York looks to turn the series around against the Astros
After dropping the series opener, the Yankees will look to bounce back and flip the script against the Astros right at home at Yankee Stadium. They have two more games to close out the series in the Bronx—Wednesday night (August 26) and Thursday night (August 27).
Following this matchup, New York stays home for a marquee rivalry series against the Boston Red Sox over the weekend before heading out to the West Coast to face the Los Angeles Angels.
