The New York Yankees claimed outfielder Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
De La Cruz, 28, struggled at the plate for Atlanta this season, hitting just .191 (9-for-47) across 16 games before being sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett on April 17, where he posted a .200 average (8-for-40) over 11 games. Across parts of five major league seasons with the Marlins (2021–24), Pirates (2024), and Braves (2025), he owns a career batting line of .251 with 58 home runs, 208 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases over 491 games.
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To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Yankees moved Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list—a procedural decision that underscores Stanton’s ongoing elbow recovery and suggests he’ll be sidelined for several more weeks.
Originally signed by the Houston Astros as an amateur free agent, De La Cruz was traded to Miami in 2021. He hit 21 homers in 2024 and was dealt to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. After being non-tendered by the Pirates in November, he signed with Atlanta in January. Now with the Yankees, he represents a potential low-risk, high-upside depth option—especially valuable if Stanton’s return continues to be delayed.
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