The San Diego Padres received bad news on a top prospect's injury diagnosis late last week. No. 3 prospect in the Padres' farm system, Humberto Cruz, underwent a UCL repair with an internal brace, according to Padres' reporter Jeff Sanders.
While this is the next closest thing to Tommy John, the injury timeline isn't quite as long, and Cruz is just 18 years old, so it's safe to think San Diego is going to be careful with his arm.
Humberto Cruz's numbers in the minors
Humberto Cruz has spent all of his 2025 season either playing for the ACL Padres (rookie ball) or the single-A affiliate, Lake Elsinore Storm.
He has yet to record a win in his professional career. He's 0-8 on the season with a 7.58 ERA in 38 innings over 14 starts. He's given up eight home runs in those 38 innings and 41 hits. At such a young age, there is still a lot of baseball ahead for Cruz, and the high ERA isn't indicative of the stuff he may be develop in the future.
This is what his MiLB.com prospect page has to say about his potential:
"There’s a ton to dream on with the 6-foot-1 right-hander. He previously sat in the upper 80s during his international experience but was averaging around 94 mph with his fastball and touching 97 after joining the San Diego ranks. The pitch came with good armside run too, and Padres officials believed it could be a ground-ball machine when hitters make contact."
He also features a slider and a changeup that are both in the low-80s, which piggyback nicely off his fastball to offer deception and a change of pace. He will have to learn poise on the bump and how to command the zone with strikes, but again, as a young starter in the organization, he has all the time to develop. His ETA in the big leagues isn't until 2029.