Nelson Cruz's return to Seattle this weekend will be far more low-key than originally expected.
The Twins designated hitter, who hasn't played since Sunday due to a left wrist strain, landed on the 10-day injured list Friday. The move is retroactive to May 14, so he'll be eligible to return in a week.
The announcement came hours before the second game of a four-game series in Seattle, where Cruz starred the last four years before signing a one-year deal with Minnesota in January.
The 38-year-old has a slash line of .270/.354/.508 with nine doubles and seven home runs through 35 games as part of a powerful lineup that has kept the Twins in first place through much of the season.
Cruz was an All-Star during three of his four seasons with the Mariners and averaged 41 home runs per year in Seattle.
Seattle, Thank you for the warm welcome back to @TMobilePark
— Nelson Cruz (@ncboomstick23) May 17, 2019
Minnesota called up 22-year-old infielder Luis Arraez from Triple-A Rochester to take Cruz's roster spot. Arraez doesn't bring any power to the table, with six career home runs in six minor league seasons, but he has a .331 batting average in the minors and has never hit worse than .309 in a season.
