Yankees Make Roster Amid Bullpen Concerns

The 35-year-old right-handed reliever is finishing up a stint on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. The injury, which surfaced during his May 17 appearance against the Mets, was apparently cleared up with a cortisone shot. He will be eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday.

Prior to the injury, Cruz had made himself a reliable asset to the Yankees' bullpen. He had a 2.66 ERA with 35 strikeouts over 23⅓ innings. He also has two saves, which is meaningful considering the Yankees are awaiting word on the hamstring issue that hit Luke Weaver on Sunday.

Carrasco’s year started with the Yankees in a swing role, pitching 32 innings but posting a shaky 5.91 ERA. He was designated for assignment and, when cleared waivers less than a month ago, accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Since then, he has made two starts at the RailRiders level: one solid outing followed by a brutal second appearance where he allowed five earned runs without making it out of the second inning.

Given recent history, it seems unlikely another team will claim Carrasco, since he just cleared waivers a month ago. However, there is always a chance a team hit by injuries in the past month could take a flyer on him.