Luis Cruz

For the Uruguayan soccer player, see Luis Cruz (footballer).

Luis Cruz
Los Angeles Dodgers
Shortstop
Born: October 2, 1984 (1984-10-02) Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 2, 2008 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Career statistics (through 2010 season)
Batting average	.221
Home runs	0
Runs batted in	6
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (2008–2009) Milwaukee Brewers (2010)

Luis Alfonso Cruz (born February 10, 1984 in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico) is a Mexican professional baseball shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right handed. He is 6 foot 1 and 180 pounds.

Professional career

Boston Red Sox

Cruz was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent on August 29, 2000. He played in the rookie leagues with the Gulf Coast Red Sox in 2001 and for 21 games in 2002 before he was promoted to the Class-A Augusta Greenjackets to finish the 2002 season. He hit .268 in 74 rookie league games and .188 with the Greenjackets.

San Diego Padres

On December 16, 2002 he was traded to the San Diego Padres for César Crespo. He played for the Padres organization through 2007, with stops at Fort Wayne (129 games in 2003), Lake Elsinore (124 games in 2004), Mobile (44 games in 2005, 130 games in 2006), San Antonio (69 games in 2007) and Portland (45 games in 2007). He also spent some time during that period with the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican Baseball League.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Cruz playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Cruz signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2008 season. After spending the majority of the year with the Double-A Altoona Curve and Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, he was called up to Pittsburgh and made his debut for the Pirates on September 2, 2008 against the Cincinnati Reds, recording a single to left field in his first Major League at-bat off of Aaron Harang. He had 15 hits in 67 at-bats for the Pirates in 2008, a .224 batting average.

Though he began the 2009 season on the Pirates major league roster, Cruz was reassigned to Triple-A in mid-April to make room for second baseman Delwyn Young, recently acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was recalled again on July 10. He appeared in a total of 27 games for the Pirates, hitting .214 and also played in 66 for Indianapolis, where he hit .253.

Milwaukee Brewers

After being claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers on December 7, 2009, Cruz played the entire 2010 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds (hitting .281 in 129 games) before being recalled by the Brewers on September 6, 2010. He appeared in only 7 games that September for the Brewers and hit .235.

During spring training 2011, Cruz was outrighted to Nashville but refused the assignment and opted for free agency on March 28.

Texas Rangers

He signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on March 29, one day after his release by the Brewers. He played in 67 games for the AAA Round Rock Express, hitting .273 and also spent some more time on loan to the Mexican League.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Cruz signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 20, 2011.

Philadelphia Phillies

On January 11, 2012, the Phillies signed Cruz to a minor league deal.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)