Yovanny Cruz returned to the major leagues Tuesday as the New York Yankees look to reinforce a struggling bullpen amid a five-game losing streak. The right-handed reliever, 26, received his second call-up of the season, marking another opportunity to establish himself within the organization’s pitching staff.

Cruz, who had been pitching for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, initially thought the call to return to the majors was a prank. “I was just in my room last night when I got the call — I thought it was the guys playing a joke,” he said through a translator. “But obviously it was the manager telling me I was going to the big leagues again.”

Making his major league debut on May 20 against Toronto, Cruz appeared in two games and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings. At the Triple-A level, he posted a 3.18 ERA in 24 appearances, demonstrating the potential to contribute at the major league level. Cruz’s fastball can reach speeds exceeding 100 mph, complemented by a slider that can top 90 mph, giving him a solid arsenal for relief work.

Despite his velocity, Cruz acknowledges that command remains an area for improvement. Last season, locating pitches consistently posed challenges, but he believes his control has advanced this year. “Besides the velo, to be effective up here, you just gotta be able to use all of your pitches and command very well the strike zone,” Cruz explained. In Triple-A this season, he has walked 4.1 batters per nine innings, a figure he aims to reduce to succeed in the majors.

Cruz’s promotion came as Yerry De los Santos was optioned back to Triple-A, with the Yankees exploring options to stabilize their bullpen ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. While the relief corps remains a relative strength for New York, the recent losing skid has prompted management to consider internal reinforcements.

Before joining the Yankees, Cruz spent eight years in the minor leagues within the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox organizations. He now hopes to solidify a permanent role with New York’s bullpen. “Seeing how close-knit the group is here, definitely feels like a family, like a team,” he said.

General manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees will be evaluating their bullpen options closely in the coming weeks, with Cruz positioned as a potential in-house option as the team navigates the second half of the season.