Fernando Cruz is on the injured list with a partially torn UCL, and surgery was a potential option for him.
Surgery would have ended Cruz's season, but he has made the surprising decision to forgo surgery. Instead, he has reportedly gotten a cortisone shot and will try to pitch again this year. Because of where the Yankees are in the calendar, Cruz's status for next year will not change based on whether he has surgery now or in the offseason.
According to The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, a doctor has cleared him to forgo surgery. According to ESPN's Jorge Castillo, he will begin throwing at the end of the week. Time is not his friend right now, and he will need to show significant progress in the next couple of weeks to have a chance to return.
Cruz was having a great year for the Yankees before landing on the injured list. He has a 3.13 ERA in 61 games this year and has been a Swiss Army knife for Aaron Boone. It's worth noting that he was pitching through elbow discomfort for about three weeks before informing the team. He's shown that he can pitch through the injury, but the results may not be what he wants.
His ERA rose 0.62 points in August, coinciding with when he started feeling elbow discomfort. The Yankees are not going to pitch him in October if he is not sharp. However, perhaps this stint on the injured list has given him enough time off to empty the tank for a final push.
