Twins place Nelson Cruz on 10-day injured list with ruptured wrist tendon - MLB

More bad news for Nelson Cruz: The Twins’ designated hitter was diagnosed with a ruptured ECU tendon in his left wrist on Friday and has been placed on the 10-day injured list, per an official announcement. Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Cruz will undergo further consultation with a specialist on Monday, after which the Twins might be able to better estimate his return date.

The 39-year-old DH appeared to re-injure his wrist while swinging the bat during Thursday’s 7-5 loss to the Indians. This will be his second stint on the IL due to wrist problems, as he sustained a similar injury back in May and missed three weeks of playing time as a result. While he told reporters he was “not feeling pain” in his wrist on Friday, it’s not yet clear whether he’ll be able to avoid another protracted absence from the team.

Injuries notwithstanding, it’s been an immensely successful year for the veteran slugger. Following Thursday’s appearance, he holds a .294/.384/.650 batting line with 32 home runs, 76 RBI, a 1.035 OPS, and 3.2 fWAR through 373 plate appearances. There’s no question the Twins will want him back in the lineup before the postseason kicks off this fall, but it’s unlikely that they’ll have any further clarity about the situation prior to Monday’s consultation.

With a vacant spot on the roster, the club recalled right-handed reliever Cody Stashak from Triple-A Rochester. Stashak, 25, is still feeling out his rookie campaign in Minnesota, where he’s issued five runs, zero walks, and nine strikeouts across his first 7 2/3 innings of relief.

CHICAGO (AP) Shohei Ohtani homered in consecutive innings, including a 459-foot drive that was the longest of his Major League Baseball career, and drove in four runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Chicago White Sox 12-5 Wednesday.

Mike Trout put the Angels ahead 2-0 with a 476-foot home run in the first that was four rows shy of clearing the left field bleachers. Taylor Ward also went deep as the Angels hit four two-run homers plus a solo shot.

“Those are the guys you lean on,” manager Phil Nevin said. “They can certainly put the team on their backs and carry us and that’s what they did today.”

Ohtani drove a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn (4-6) just to left of straightaway center in the third, where the ball was dropped by a fan who tried to glove it. That 425-foot drive put the Angels ahead 4-1.

Lynn didn’t even bother to turn and look when Ohtani hit a full count fastball more than a dozen rows over the bullpen in right-center in the fourth. The two-way Japanese star is batting .269 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs to go along with a 5-1 record and 2.91 ERA.

“I’m feeling good right now,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I’m putting good swings on pitches I should be hitting hard.”

Ohtani increased his career total to 13 multihomer games with his first this season.

Trout pulled a hanging curve for his 13th home run. Ward hit a two-run homer against Jesse Scholtens in the seventh and Chad Wallach, pinch hitting for Ohtani, had a solo homer in the ninth off Garrett Crochet.

“Usually when that happens, we’re in a good spot to win,” Trout said.

Trout and Ohtani have homered in the same game for the fifth time this season. The Angels hit a pair of 450-foot or more home runs in the same game for the first time since Statcast started tracking in 2015.

Lynn allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks while hitting two batters in four innings, raising his ERA to 6.55. He has given up 15 home runs, one short of the major league high of Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles. Lynn had won his previous three starts.

“It seemed like he didn’t get away with any today,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Just one of those days, man.”

Jaime Barria (2-2) gave up one run and four hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Los Angeles won two of three from the White Sox after being swept by Miami last weekend.

Jake Burger homered for Chicago, which has lost four of five. Burger hit his 11th homer in the ninth and Hanser Alberto had a two run double off Tucker Davidson.

Chicago’s Romy Gonzalez, who’d homered in three straight games, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

THE NATURALS

Twenty-three people became naturalized U.S. citizens during a pregame swearing-in behind home plate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Trout fouled a pitch off his right leg in the fourth but remained in the game.

White Sox: INF Elvis Andrus (strained left oblique) and RHP Mike Clevinger (right wrist inflammation) are close to returning but Grifol wouldn’t elaborate on either player’s status.

UP NEXT

Angels: Reid Detmers (0-4, 4.93) starts Thursday’s series opener at Houston against fellow LHP Framber Valdez (5-4, 2.38).

White Sox: Have not announced a starter for Friday’s series opener against visiting Detroit, which starts RHP Reese Olson in his major league debut. Olson is 2-3 with a 6.38 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A Toledo.

—

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports