Yankees option Spencer Jones, Yovanny Cruz to clear room for Gerrit Cole return

Spencer Jones did not get long to turn his first major league look into a permanent claim, and the Yankees sent him back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday night with Gerrit Cole ready to take the mound Friday against the Rays at Yankee Stadium. Jones, the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2022 and MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 prospect, went 4-for-24 in 10 games after being promoted May 8 when Jasson Domínguez landed on the injured list with a left AC joint sprain. He stole his first big-league base in Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Blue Jays, but the fuller line told the story of the trial run: two RBIs, three walks and 12 strikeouts. Back in Scranton, Jones has to show that the size, athleticism, speed and power that drew Aaron Judge comparisons can hold up over more than a week in the majors.

Yovanny Cruz joined him on the trip back to Pennsylvania after an even shorter stay that still flashed why the Yankees rushed him into the mix. Cruz made his big-league debut Tuesday against Toronto, striking out three over two perfect innings while touching 100.9 mph and averaging 99.8 mph with his fastball. The right-hander was optioned after one appearance, a sign that New York needed a fresh bullpen arm in the moment more than it needed a longer look. With Max Fried, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt all on the injured list, every healthy arm has carried added weight, and Cruz at least gave the Yankees a power arm to monitor when the next opening comes.

Cole’s activation changed the math. The ace was set to make his first major league appearance since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series after a sixth rehab start on May 16 in which he threw 86 pitches over 5 1/3 innings and struck out six. He told the Yankees, “I’m ready,” and the club cleared space accordingly, opening room by sending Jones and Cruz to Triple-A. New York also expected to bring back José Caballero, whose fractured right middle finger has him on the injured list, and Aaron Boone has said Caballero should reclaim the starting shortstop job when healthy.

That leaves Anthony Volpe in the majors but still without a clean long-term lane, while Scranton/Wilkes-Barre suddenly sits at the center of the Yankees’ roster pressure. For Jones, the assignment is clear: cut into the strikeouts, force better contact and prove his power translates over a longer Triple-A stretch. If he does that, the next conversation in New York gets a lot more serious.