Detroit — If there’s any way a diagnosis of a fractured eye bone is good news, it’s this:
Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez did not suffer any vision damage from the freak accident that occurred during his postgame workout in Houston on Tuesday night.
“As of right now, he’s not in harm’s way,” manager AJ Hinch said. “His eye is OK.”
Perez, who was placed on the injured list Friday, was struck below the left eye when a resistance band he was working with snapped off its hook and fractured the orbital bone. He is still in Houston.
“He’s not cleared to travel,” Hinch said. “He’s being evaluated again today. We will know more when we get through the eye doctor and face doctor and see where he’s at in terms of activity level. But he’s safe and he’s in a good place. The swelling has started to go down.”
The Tigers called up switch-hitting utility player Trei Cruz, who was expected to start in right field and make his big-league debut Friday night.
“I am really happy for Trei and his family,” Hinch said. “From a baseball history standpoint, how cool is it to have a family with three generations of players. It’s a rarity.”
Cruz’s grandfather Jose Cruz was a star player for the Houston Astros. His father, Jose Cruz, Jr., was a Gold Glove-winning outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays and was briefly a hitting coach for Hinch with the Tigers.
“It’s my understanding that they will all be in attendance tonight,” Hinch said. “Just a really cool baseball moment.”
The Cruzes are the fifth family to produce three generations of big-leagues: Bell (Gus, Buddy, David and Mike), Boone (Ray, Bob, Bret, Aaron), Coleman (Joe, Joe, Casey) and Hairston (Sammy, Jerry, Jerry, Jr., Scott).
Trei Cruz, 27, was the Tigers’ third-round pick in 2020, and his climb though the system was methodical. He spent four seasons in Double-A.
“He’s someone who hasn’t had an easy path,” Hinch said. “He’s gone through a lot of ups and downs but he never lost his resolve. He’s a good dude and he works hard.”
He can play shortstop, third base, second base and all three outfield spots. He’s a better hitter from the left side than the right, but since he got back off the injured list (dislocated right knee), he’s slashed .279/.347/.465 with an .812 OPS at Toledo.
“He’s had to work hard to get here,” Hinch said. “It just shows, not everyone’s journey to the big leagues is a smooth ride. I love that he’s been tough enough to handle it.”
The Tigers, per organization policy, didn’t make Cruz available to the media before the game.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ Wenceel Perez ‘in a good place’ following eye bone fracture
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
