Cruz (illness) will bat cleanup and serve as the designated hitter Tuesday against the Marlins.
Cruz was scratched from Monday's lineup due to an illness, but that was evidently merely a one-day problem. He'll return to his regular role Tuesday and will look to build on a run which has seen him hit .333/.405/.545 with a pair of homers over his last nine games.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Scratched from Monday's lineup
Rotowire
Cruz was scratched from Monday's lineup against the Marlins due to an illness, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Cruz was initially slated to serve as the designated hitter and bat fourth Monday, but he didn't feel well after arriving at the ballpark and was ultimately sent home. Yadiel Hernandez will shift to the DH spot while Lane Thomas enters the lineup in left field.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Clubs fourth homer
Rotowire
Cruz went 1-for-3 with a walk, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Mets.
His second-inning blast off Tylor Megill actually wrapped up the scoring on the night. Cruz appears to be shaking off his early-season slump -- the veteran slugger has hit safely in five straight games with two of his four homers coming during that stretch, but the hot streak has only boosted his slash line to .174/.266/.284.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: On base three times Sunday
Rotowire
Cruz went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Angels.
The 41-year-old slugger has had a rough start to the season, but Cruz might be coming around. Since sitting out two games with back stiffness, he's hit safely in three straight while adding his third homer of the year to Sunday's free passes. Cruz still sports a woeful .157/.250/.245 slash line through 27 contests, but if he's healthy he's capable of heating up quickly.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Bashes home run
Rotowire
Cruz went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a 7-3 win against the Angels on Saturday.
Cruz provided valuable insurance with his fifth-inning shot off Los Angeles reliever Elvis Peguero, though he failed to produce in his other four at-bats. The 40-year-old is hitting a lackluster .150 this season, going 3-for-31 over his last eight games, with three home runs accounting for all of his extra-base hits.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Back in action Friday
Rotowire
Cruz (back) is hitting cleanup and starting at designated hitter Friday against the Angels, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Cruz has gotten off to a rough start, hitting .143 through 103 plate appearances. He is striking out at a career-best 17.3 percent clip, but his 55.4 percent groundball rate is cause for concern.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Available to pinch hit
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Cruz (back) is available off the bench Thursday against the Rockies, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
Cruz will sit for the second straight game with a stiff back, but the fact that he's available off the bench suggests he could return soon. The Nationals will be looking for much more from the 41-year-old once he returns in full, as he owns a very poor .143/.233/.209 slash line through his first 24 games for the team.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Remains out of lineup
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Cruz (back) isn't starting Thursday against the Rockies, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Cruz was removed from Tuesday's game against Colorado with back stiffness, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second straight matchup. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available off the bench, but Yadiel Hernandez will serve as the designated hitter while Dee Strange-Gordon starts in left field.
Cruz (back) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.
The veteran slugger exited Tuesday's contest with back stiffness and will be sidelined for at least one game. Yadiel Hernandez will serve as the designated hitter with Cruz out while Lane Thomas starts in left field.
Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Dealing with back stiffness
Rotowire
Cruz was removed from Tuesday's win over the Rockies due to back stiffness, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Cruz went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before being lifted for a pinch hitter during the seventh inning. The veteran slugger has a horrid 1.43/.233/.209 slash line through 24 games this season, so a couple days off could prove beneficial regardless of the back issue. Cruz will be re-evaluated ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Colorado.
Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Belts second homer in loss
Rotowire
Cruz went 1-of-4 with a home run, two walks and two RBI in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Cruz went yard for the second time this season but his numbers during the series with the Diamondbacks were less than stellar, as he went only 3-for-13 over the four-game stint.
Cruz went 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBI in Friday's 7-2 win over the Pirates.
The 41-year-old has driven in six runs through his fist eight games with the Nationals. but they've come in a pair of three-RBI performances. Cruz has overall had a sluggish start to the season, slashing .219/.306/.313 with one homer, but slotting between Juan Soto and Josh Bell in the batting order should provide him with plenty of hittable pitches.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Back in lineup Wednesday
Rotowire
Cruz (groin) is starting at designated hitter and batting third in Wednesday's contest against the Braves, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Cruz was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup while dealing with groin tightness, but he'll limit his absence to just one contest and be back in the lineup Wednesday. The 41-year-old has started off the season 4-for-20 from the plate, but he has gone 3-for-8 with a homer, three RBI and two walks in his last two games.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Managing groin tightness
Rotowire
Cruz was held out of Tuesday's blowout loss to Atlanta due to groin tightness, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The veteran slugger was a late scratch Tuesday, and the reason for his absence wasn't revealed until after the contest. Cruz will be re-evaluated in the morning and should be considered day-to-day for now, leaving his availability for Wednesday's series finale up in the air.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Late scratch Tuesday
Rotowire
Cruz was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against Atlanta for unspecified reasons.
Cruz was penciled in to bat third as the designated hitter but was removed from the lineup shortly before first pitch. The reason for the veteran slugger's absence is unclear, though his status should be updated by the team in the near future. Yadiel Hernandez will shift to designated hitter while Lane Thomas enters the lineup in left field.
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Nationals' Nelson Cruz: Mashes 450th homer
Rotowire
Cruz went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Mets.
The seemingly ageless Cruz took Carlos Carrasco deep for a solo shot in the first inning, his first homer and first RBI as a member of the Nationals and the 450th of his career. That total puts him third among active players behind Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, and 40th on MLB's all-time list. Cruz capped his big day with the game-winning hit, a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth. The next milestone for the 41-year-old will be his 1,250th career RBI, a figure he's only nine away from.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 6-2, 230 lbs
Birthplace: Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic
