Out of Right Field: Interleague series gives Nelson Cruz time to heal

With a day off Monday and a two-game interleague series in San Francisco starting Tuesday, Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz could get a couple of extra days of rest for his sprained right ankle.

At least, provided the MRI he had Sunday didn’t shown anything that would require him to be placed on the disabled list.

Interleague games in National League ballparks are played without a DH, so Cruz wouldn’t be doing his normal job. He occasionally plays right field in those games.

“I joked with him (Saturday) and said, ‘You really didn’t want to play the outfield, did you?’ And he got mad at me,” M’s manager Scott Servais told reporters before Sunday’s series finale, which Seattle won 5-4. “If it’s going to be longer than 3-4 days, then we’re going to have to make a roster decision. But right now, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he can bounce back.”

Cruz, you might recall, was injured in the dugout after hitting a two-run homer Saturday against Cleveland. After celebrating with teammates in the dugout, he headed down another flight of stairs to the bat rack to put away his helmet and gear and twisted his ankle on the bottom step.

It’s not as bad as getting hurt while carrying luggage (as Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez did last week), but still one of the more unique injuries in Mariners history.