The San Diego Padres designated veteran slugger Nelson Cruz for assignment, the club announced Tuesday.
Cruz joined the Padres on a one-year, $1-million contract in the offseason. The 43-year-old struggled to the tune of a .245/.283/.399 slash line with five home runs and 23 RBIs in 49 games this year. The seven-time All-Star struck out a career-high 30.3% of the time across 152 plate appearances.
"Obviously a tough one," Padres manager Bob Melvin said, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. "He's a big impact in the clubhouse. Across the board, throughout the league, the respect that he brings, playing against him from afar, it's fantastic."
Cruz was one of a handful of notable additions in the offseason as the franchise loaded up to make a run at its first World Series. The Padres didn't live up to expectations and currently sit in fourth place in the NL West with a 39-46 record.
