Fernando Cruz’s road back to the Bronx hit a snag Thursday night in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Pitching in the same game as Ryan Yarbrough’s rehab start, the right-hander lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. He threw 21 pitches, only 10 for strikes, before being lifted.
It was Cruz’s first game action since a left oblique strain put him on the 15-day injured list on June 30. This is his second IL stint of the season after missing time in May with right shoulder inflammation.
Before the latest injury, Cruz had been a high-leverage weapon for the Yankees, making 32 appearances and posting a 2–3 record, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 54 strikeouts in 33 innings. His splitter has been one of baseball’s toughest pitches to hit, holding opponents to a .099 average and ranking in the 99th percentile in strikeout rate and 100th percentile in whiff rate.
That swing-and-miss profile is exactly what the Yankees’ bullpen has been missing. Even after deadline additions David Bednar and Camilo Doval, and steady work from Mark Leiter Jr., the group has been inconsistent. Jake Bird’s recent demotion underscored that volatility, and the Yankees still lack a surplus of bat-missing arms for the late innings.
Now the question is timing. If Cruz’s command and execution improve in his next outing or two, he could immediately slot back into a late-inning role, pairing with Bednar, Doval, and Leiter to give New York a more dominant back end. If his inconsistency from Thursday lingers, the Yankees might keep him in Triple-A for a bit longer to get fully locked in.
Either way, Cruz’s return offers the potential for a critical boost. Few relievers in baseball can match his strikeout ability, and if he’s sharp by September, the Yankees’ bullpen could look a lot more dangerous heading into October.
