SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz has been cleared of more serious issues after team doctors diagnosed a muscle strain in his chest.
Assistant general manager Thad Levine said Friday that Cruz was sent to a hospital to rule out anything else. The Rangers later said in a statement that several tests were negative and Cruz was being released after a stress test. He can resume baseball activities Saturday.
Cruz was set to leave Sunday to join the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic. He leads the Rangers with five RBIs this spring training, although he's hitting just .214.
The 32-year-old Cruz played a career-high 159 games last season, hitting .260 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs.
