Yankees Fernando Cruz lands on IL again after suffering injury with medicine ball: Pretty painful

TORONTO — For the second time this season, Fernando Cruz is back on the injured list.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

The first stint only cost him the minimum 15 days, but the Yankees were left holding their breath Monday on the result of Cruz’s MRI exam to determine how severe his oblique strain is and how long it will cost him.“It was pretty painful for him [Sunday],” manager Aaron Boone said Monday at Rogers Centre.“Hurt it warming up in the weight room, his start-of-the-day warming up and stretching.”Boone indicated Cruz was going through his pregame routine with a medicine ball when he felt something in his oblique, a body part that can be tricky and often cost players lengthy stretches because of the risk for reinjury if they come back too soon.The good news is that this injury does not involve Cruz’s right shoulder, where inflammation cost him two weeks earlier this season.

But it will take a high-leverage weapon and strikeout artist away from Boone’s late-game bullpen for the time being.“Part of it,” Boone said.“Everyone’s going to deal with some attrition and bumps along the way from an injury standpoint.

You’ve got to be able to navigate that.We have a lot of capable people that hopefully will be able to step up in different situations.

Hopefully Cruz, it’s not too long and we get him back and he’s just a little fresher for the rest of the way.”The Yankees called up Geoff Hartlieb from Triple-A to take Cruz’s spot in the bullpen.The right-hander, who impressed the Yankees in spring training, had a 3.34 ERA in 24 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and can pitch multiple innings.The latest stop on George Lombard’s rise to becoming one of the game’s top prospects?The All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta.Lombard will be the Yankees representative at the annual showcase of prospects that kicks off All-Star Game festivi...