The Yankees optioned Cruz to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday.
Cruz struck out three batters over two scoreless innings Tuesday, giving him six punchouts through 4.1 shutout frames to begin his MLB career. He'll lose his place in New York's bullpen in preparation for David Bednar's return from the paternity list, but Cruz's strong showings with the big club will likely buy him more opportunities in the Bronx later this summer.