Yankees Take First Step in Fixing Bullpen Problems With Yovanny Cruz Call-Up

New York Yankees pitcher Yovanny Cruz (96) works out during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

There was one prevailing thought among Yankees fans after Sunday’s disastrous extra-innings loss to the Mets in the Subway Series: the bullpen is officially a concern that management cannot overlook. It's something that general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone have to fix as soon as possible.

Leadership must've heard those please from the fanbase as they did not waste time making a change ahead of Monday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Yankees promoted reliever Yovanny Cruz from Triple-A and optioned Elmer Rodriguez back to the minors.

Boone watched his bullpen cough up a 5-1 lead on Sunday after getting a good outing from rookie Elmer Rodriguez. Ryan Yarborough, who came in after Rodriguez, was charged with two earned runs, even though Jake Bird took over for Yarborough and gave up a two-run double to the first batter he saw.

Luckily, he was able to get out of it, but it was only a sign of things to come. The bullpen went off the rails completely in the ninth inning as closer David Bednar gave up a game-tying three-run home run on a breaking ball that sat in the middle of the plate. Bednar hasn’t been fantastic this year, so his giving up a homer in that spot was icing on the cake for many Yankees fans.

After watching the Subway Series finale end on a disastrous note in extras, the Yankees are hoping that Yovanny Cruz can stop the bleeding and be a solution for this beleaguered unit.

Yankees hoping Yovanny Cruz can bring stability to a rocky bullpen

Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s too early for the Yankees to make a trade for a bullpen piece, so the next best thing is to call on Cruz from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Fans have been itching for New York to call him the 26-year-old as the bullpen has been spiraling.

The Yankees' bullpen has a 3.60 ERA (10th-best in baseball), but no one would know that, especially with how they've performed lately, costing this team games.

Most fans would rather see the Yankees take their chances with Cruz than with Camilo Doval, Paul Blackburn, and whoever else Boone throws out there.

This season with the RailRiders, the 26-year-old Dominican reliever has a 5-1 record and 3.00 ERA across 15 appearances. In 18 innings of work, Cruz has allowed 14 hits, nine walks, six earned runs (two home runs), and struck out 23 batters.

Cruz has struggled lately, allowing an earned run in five straight relief appearances after having his second scoreless streak of the season (four appearances or more). That being said, it didn't stop Boone and Co. from bringing him up despite his showings. Also, when you have a pitcher that boasts a fastball that can reach 102 mph, it's worth taking a flier on.

With Cruz on the roster, it will be interesting to see how Boone utilizes him. As right now, his best reliever is southpaw Tim Hill. The 36-year-old pitcher has an 0-1 record and 1.45 ERA across 22 appearances.

Hill has given up 14 hits, three earned runs (one home run), and two walks while recording seven strikeouts. He doesn’t throw with a ton of velocity, but he still gets guys out.

Therefore, Boone should use Hill in the eighth inning, where he's had a ton of success this season (0.00 ERA and .211 opponents batting average). That means Yovanny Cruz could be used in the seventh inning if necessary, and if he shows he belongs in the big leagues, there may be high-leverage spots available for him.