Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Blue Jays.
Cruz will return to Triple-A after appearing in two contests after having his contract selected by the Yankees on Monday. The right-hander combined to throw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out three batters in his two appearances. The move creates room on the major-league roster for the return of Gerrit Cole (elbow) from the injured list for his 2026 debut.