2 years agoWashington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz was scratched from the starting lineup just before first pitch on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies for an undisclosed reason. We'll likely have the reason why Cruz was scratched shortly, so stay tuned for more information. The Nats will be without both Cruz and slugger Juan Soto (calf) against Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez. Maikel Franco started the game as Washington's DH while hitting fifth in the batting order. Cruz has hit just .196 (9-for-46) with a homer, nine RBI and 13 strikeouts in 12 games over the last two weeks, so we wonder if he's dealing with anything physically. Overall, he's slashing .241/.322/.369 with eight long balls, 46 RBI, 38 runs scored and even two stolen bases in 76 games.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: The Athletic - Matt Gelb