Yovanny

Cruz

The Yankees needed to free up a spot on their active roster for the return of Gerrit Cole on Friday and it appears as though Cruz was the low man on the totem pole this time. The 26-year-old hurler pitched very well in his two outings for the Yankees, posting a 0.43 WHIP and a 3/0 K/BB ratio over 2 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. It shouldn’t be long before he earned another opportunity with the big league club.

Cruz can hit 102 mph on his fastball and does have a 3.00 ERA and 29 percent strikeout rate this season. However, he has struggled in May, allowing five runs on nine hits in seven innings while walking six and striking out six.

Cruz was signed to a minor league deal in November, and the right-hander will likely head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to provide depth in 2026.

The 26-year-old hurler spent the 2025 campaign in the Red Sox’ organization where he registered a 3.03 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 72/44 K/BB ratio over 59 1/3 innings in 34 appearances. He’ll add bullpen depth in the upper minors for the Yankees.

All of the players were long shots to make the MLB roster but will continue to hone their skills and get ready for their respective minor league seasons. The Padres now have 60 players in MLB camp.

Cruz catches on with San Diego after spending the last six years in the Cubs’ minor league system. The 24-year-old righty has yet to pitch above High-A, but apparently the stuff is good enough that the Padres want to take a look in their organization as a potential lottery ticket.