On-Air Now
On-Air Now
Listen Live from the Casino M8trix Studio

Yankees place RHP Fernando Cruz (oblique) on IL

Yankees place RHP Fernando Cruz (oblique) on IL thumbnail
Field Level Media

The New York Yankees placed reliever Fernando Cruz on the injured list Monday with a left oblique strain.

The move is retroactive to June 28.

Cruz returned June 3 from a previous 15-day IL stint, that time for shoulder inflammation. The 35-year-old is 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA and two saves in 32 appearances out of the bullpen this season.

The Yankees also called up right-hander Geoff Hartlieb from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

Hartlieb, 31, is on his fifth major-league team, having compiled a 1-1 record with a 7.37 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 79.1 innings of relief with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2019-21), New York Mets (2021), Miami Marlins (2023) and Colorado Rockies (2024). He has a 3-2 record with a 3.34 ERA and two saves in 24 games in Triple-A this season.

In a corresponding move, infielder CJ Alexander was designated for assignment to open up room on the 40-man roster.

Alexander, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Athletics on June 8 but did not see any action with the Yankees. Across his 10 MLB games with the Athletics and the Kansas City Royals, he has gone 4-for-25 (.160) with no walks or extra-base hits.