The New York Yankees made several roster moves before Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Astros, most notably placing reliever Fernando Cruz on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort.
Cruz’s placement comes one day after the right-hander insisted he was physically fine following New York’s 9-7 loss to Houston on Tuesday night. However, his velocity dipped during the outing as he surrendered two runs, including a game-tying home run, in one inning of work.
The veteran reliever has struggled recently after spending much of the season as one of the Yankees’ more reliable bullpen arms. Over his last 14 appearances, Cruz has allowed eight runs and four home runs in 12 innings.
The Yankees also optioned reliever Bradley Hanner to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after he threw 25 pitches in Tuesday night’s loss. Hanner allowed an insurance run in the ninth inning as Houston pulled away to secure the victory.
To help fill the openings in the bullpen, the Yankees signed veteran right-hander Michael Fulmer to a major league contract and added him to the active roster. Fulmer, a former All-Star starter, now gets another opportunity to contribute at the big-league level with New York.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.