The New York Yankees‘ bullpen has been one of the team’s glaring problems throughout the 2025 season. To improve, they acquired David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Camilo Doval from the San Francisco Giants, and Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies.
The Yankees optioned Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after his first three appearances with his new team. New York’s pitching staff has also suffered its fair share of injuries, including Ryan Yarbrough and Fernando Cruz.
Cruz has been out since June 30 with a left oblique strain, but he will be activated on Tuesday for the Yankees’ second game of their series against the Washington Nationals.
Yankees Excited to Have Fernando Cruz Back
The Yankees will activate Cruz off the injured list on Tuesday, and The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reports that right-hander Yerry De Los Santos was the player optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
“Obviously, he’s [Cruz] been super productive for us down there and such an important part of that pen when he’s been healthy,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees’ series finale against the Boston Red Sox, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “And he’s just a great person and competitor and guy to be on the team; takes the ball in any scenario. I am looking forward to getting him back.”
New York acquired Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson from the Cincinnati Reds during the offseason in exchange for fan favorite Jose Trevino. The 35-year-old missed time with right shoulder inflammation in May and remained out for nearly two months during his most recent trip to the injured list with the oblique strain.
Fernando Cruz is a Critical Piece of New York’s Bullpen
Cruz has struck out 54 batters in 33 innings this season, mostly pitching in the seventh and eighth innings of games. His best weapon is his split-finger fastball, which opposing hitters are batting .138 against this season.
The Yankees‘ bullpen recorded a 5.58 ERA during Cruz’s absence, the second-worst mark in Major League Baseball during that time. They desperately needed another option to pitch in the later innings of tight games.
But Cruz’s return should give Boone another late-inning option in his circle of trust as the Yankees head down the homestretch,” the New York Post’s Greg Joyce wrote Sunday. In the meantime, Paul Blackburn remained on the roster Sunday despite being unavailable after throwing 71 pitches in mop-up duty Saturday.
Yerry De Los Santos Demoted
Yerry De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following the Yankees’ 10-5 win against the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
He allowed four runs on four hits and was responsible for the runs that crossed home plate on a ninth-inning grand slam by Jacob Young off Mark Leiter Jr. The Yankees opted to send De Los Santos down for Cruz because newcomer Paul Blackburn does not have minor league options remaining.
De Los Santos threw 47 pitches in his outing against Washington, so it’s unlikely Boone would have used him out of the bullpen during the next few days anyway. The right-hander has a 3.28 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 35.2 innings this season.
Yankees’ Bullpen Gets Major Boost During Nationals Series