Fernando Cruz Injury: Could be activated next week

Cruz (oblique) is slated to make a four-out minor-league rehab appearance Friday, and if that goes well, he could be activated from the injured list as soon as Monday, per MLB.com.

Cruz landed on the injured list in late June due to a left oblique strain. The veteran reliever kicked off a minor-league rehab stint Aug. 14 and has appeared in three games so far (two with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and one with Double-A Somerset), allowing four runs on five hits with a 4:1 K:BB over 2.1 innings. Though those numbers are poor, Cruz's most recent outing was strong -- he struck out the side and gave up only one hit over one scoreless frame Tuesday. Once activated off the IL, Cruz should be a candidate for high-leverage work, though he may be eased back given his lengthy absence. He also may be lower on the depth chart than when he last pitched, as New York added David Bednar and Camilo Doval to the bullpen at the trade deadline.