MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 14: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on against the Minnesota Twins on August 14, 2021 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
The big trading deadline addition for the Tampa Bay Rays this year was designated hitter Nelson Cruz. His main appeal was to upgrade the performance from the Designated Hitter slot in the lineup and to improve how well the team hit against left-handed pitching.
Nelson Cruz hits IL
Cruz has now been taken out of the Rays’ lineup due to COVID-19.