Is it time to give Cruz some rest?
The Baltimore Orioles are winning because of great starting pitching and clutch at bats. Early in the season Nelson Cruz provided a lot of those clutch hits. Cruz has been in a slump since the All-Star break and his average has dipped below .265 which is well below what he has hit for most of the season.
Cruz carried the Orioles for the first quarter of the season until Adam Jones got hot. Now Cruz has cooled off and it might be time to give him an off day.
Showalter loves to use his regular players day in and day out and has done that with Cruz. Cruz usually is the designated hitter so he only needs to hit but even the DH needs an off day.
Off days in baseball are not always about the physical side of things sometimes they just help mentally. The baseball season is a long grind and for a player that played in the All-Star game it can take its toll.
An off day for Cruz would not hurt the Orioles that bad. It would give Delmon Young another start at DH and he has been hitting the ball hard. A fresh Cruz is a dangerous hitter that can help the Orioles. Cruz is one of the best hitters in the game and the Orioles do not want to wear him out.
