A.J. Pollock, Nelson Cruz named NL and AL Players of the Week
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock has been named the National League Player of the Week for the second time in the last three weeks and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nelson Cruz took the honors in the American League.
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Pollock led the National League with a .593 on-base percentage, 23 total bases and runs scored. Pollock has been the best player in Arizona this season as he has outproduced All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt with a slash line of .316/.366/.554 to go along with 28 runs scored, six home runs and 15 runs batted in.
Unfortunately, Pollock was hit in the hand by a Johnny Cueto fastball on Saturday and suffered a fracture which likely will keep him out of the Arizona lineup for the next four-six weeks.
Oddly enough Cruz was also hit by a pitch over the weekend, but the Orioles slugger escaped serious harm,k unlike Pollock, and is listed as day-to-day.
The former Texas Rangers right fielder who served a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs last season has proven to be a free agent coup for the Orioles who signed him to a one-year deal worth $8 million deep into the offseason.
Cruz leads the Major Leagues with 20 home runs, 52 runs batted in, a 672 slugging percentage and 137 total bases. He has been rewarded with a number of votes to start the All-Star Game this season and after the latest update in the voting is the top vote-getter at designated hitter, but he could be in for a long battle to the end with David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox to ultimately start the Midsummer Classic.