Last year De La Cruz was off to a great start for High-A Kinston where in two starts he was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA (12.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 19 K) and was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week the first week of the season. But in a bullpen session getting ready for his third start last year he tweaked his elbow and it was discovered he had strained the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow. The injury put him on the shelf for most of the rest of the season to where he made just a handful of appearances on a rehab assignment at rookie-level Arizona and in Instructional League in the fall.
After a frustrating 2009 season, things started to look a lot more promising for De La Cruz in 2010 when he was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason. He participated in his first big league camp, and when the season started he was assigned to Kinston for the first few weeks because the Indians did not want to send him to a colder weather team in Akron so as to help protect his elbow. In six starts for Kinston he went 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA, and in 34.0 innings allowed 22 hits, 8 walks, and had 28 strikeouts.
De La Cruz, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday on August 1st, was quickly moved up to Akron in early May and since joining the rotation there has been inconsistent all year where in 20 starts he is 5-6 with a 5.77 ERA (93.2 IP, 98 H, 64 BB, 77 K). It is not the kind of splash he hoped to make in Double-A, but after missing so much time last year with an injury scare to his left elbow, he is just happy to still be healthy after a long year.
"I am not having the best season, but it is a good season to get ready for next year,” said De La Cruz in an interview over last weekend for the IPI. "It's been hard, but I am happy though because I am healthy right now and that is all that matters to me."
There have been no issues with getting his velocity back as De La Cruz has reportedly been up to 95 MPH this year and has averaged 90-92 MPH for most of the year. His average velocity may be down a MPH or two from last year, but as he works through his delivery issues and his confidence increases, he should get back to or even eclipse the velocity he is throwing at now.
If there is one thing that stands out the most to pinpoint where De La Cruz’s struggles stem from, it is his delivery being inconsistent and his fastball command not being as sharp as it has been in the past. As a result, they have contributed to a higher walk rate this year and a drop in effectiveness of his secondary offerings.
"Yeah, I am just trying to get back to where I was before with my mechanics and delivery and everything else,” said De La Cruz. “It is something I have been working on since back in the fall. I am trying to be consistent everyday with my mechanics and delivery because it is going to help me."
Now that the offseason is right around the corner, it will allow De La Cruz the much needed time to rest his arm and work on getting stronger in his lower half. It will also allow him time to work on a lot of things that he is unable to 100% focus on in-season because of the demands of pitching in games, side work, and other things that go into his five day routine.
"It will be pretty good for me in the offseason as I can work on a lot of stuff,” said De La Cruz. “I will get a lot of rest as I have thrown a lot of innings this year, so I will rest my arm. I am going to go to strength and conditioning [in Instructional League] and it is going to help me a lot. I am going to be [in Arizona] a month and I am going to be able to work on stuff I am not able to work on during the season. My offseason is going to be a key for me [for next year].”
With De La Cruz getting somewhat of a pass this season because monitoring his health was the primary focus, next year the kid gloves will be off and he will need to show progress with his development. Assuming he remains on the 40-man roster this offseason, he will be in his second option year next season and will need to start taking some big steps toward showing he is closer to being a legit Major League option for the Indians sometime next year or in 2012.
With that in mind, it is a big offseason for De La Cruz, something he is very aware of.
"Yeah, I have a goal to work my lower body as I know that it is going to help my balance and everything else,” said De La Cruz. “Being a pitcher everything goes through your legs. I want to have a good program here with Juan Acevedo and I will have a busy offseason working. Not that I am going to throw everyday because I am going to rest my arm, but go out there and get some work."
If he continues to stay healthy and he continues to work hard on his strength and conditioning as well as his mechanics, it could all pay off for De La Cruz next year with that much dreamed about call to the big league team.
Photo courtesy of Lianna Holub
Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. His new book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on Amazon.com or his site.
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