Cruz confident of playing Friday with Twins despite discomfort

Dominican slugger Nelson Cruz, who is dealing with right ankle discomfort, expects to be in the Minnesota Twins’ lineup for Friday’s series opener at Target Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cruz hit two home runs and drove in four runs Wednesday in the Twins’ 13-12, 10-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics. The Queretaro slugger, who had been hit in the ankle area in his last at-bat of Tuesday’s doubleheader, was replaced by a pinch hitter in the 10th inning.

“I took a ball on my right ankle and it affects my running. Yes, I can swing, but it bothers me when I run and it got worse in the seventh inning and that’s why they decided to take me out,” Cruz said.

“With the therapy I did after the game I feel much better, thank God, and since Thursday is a day off, that will help me recover and be ready for Friday’s game,” he added.

Minnesota, which has several players sidelined with cap problems and injury protocol, has lost four straight games and nine of its last 10 to put its record at 6-11 and fall to the basement of the American League Central Division, which it won in the previous two seasons.

“It’s tough because you’re not prepared to deal with these types of situations, but that’s what we’ve been dealing with. We have several players affected by the coronavirus, others by injuries, the team is depleted by health,” Cruz said. “We hope to recover soon,” he added.

Being without Cruz at this point would be like a dagger in the heart for the Twins.

The designated hitter and occasional outfielder is batting .353 with six home runs and 14 RBIs in 16 games. The first of his two home runs Wednesday had an exit velocity of 110.1 miles per hour, the 63rd of his career over 110 MPH, the second most in the majors since 2015, when Statcast began keeping those records.

He also has 38 multiple home run games since 2006, when he hit his first. Since then, only fellow countryman Albert Pujols, with 48, has more games of two or more home runs in the majors.

Cruz, who turns 41 on July 1, has four multi-homer games since turning 40. In the modern era (1901 onward), only Hank Sauer (8) and Barry Bonds (6) have accumulated more.

“I’ve kept working, that’s been the key to my success over the last few years,” said Cruz, who leads the majors with 266 home runs since 2014 and is third among active ballplayers with 423.