Bryan De La Cruz was eating at Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão on Monday when he got a call from triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Chris Adamson.
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Adamson told De La Cruz that he was heading back to the major leagues. The right-handed hitting outfielder was officially activated on Tuesday, with catcher Garrett Stubbs placed on the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation as a corresponding move.
De La Cruz has plenty of prior major league experience. Since 2021, he’s played 491 major league games for three different teams. But since getting designated for assignment by the Yankees last July, he hasn’t found a foothold.
“I just want to thank God, mainly,” he said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “We just have to keep the faith up and just believe and keep going. Keep advancing, keep moving on, and it doesn’t matter how hard it gets. … You can always make it back up, and you just have to believe and be thankful for the opportunity to be here.”
De La Cruz signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies in the winter and was in big league camp this season. There, he reunited with Jesús Luzardo, who he spent time with on the Marlins, and befriended some other players like pitcher Cristopher Sánchez.
Over 84 games in triple A, De La Cruz hit .269 with an .806 OPS, and played primarily left field along with stints in right field and as the designated hitter.
It’s no secret how much the Phillies’ right-handers have struggled this season. As a collective, they have a .217 batting average and .633 OPS, both of which rank dead last in baseball among right-handers. While Trea Turner has recently started to heat up, with four homers in his last four games, the Phillies need more production from that side of the plate.
“I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t up to date with what the team was doing here at the big league level, but my focus was and is always going to be to focus on where I’m at,” De La Cruz said. “Down in the minors, that was my main focus, just trying to perform and trying to help where I was. And now I’m here, and I’ll try to do the same.”
De La Cruz was recalled as a reinforcement before the Phillies are expected to face two consecutive left-handed starters. The Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski was scheduled to start Tuesday, while Eric Lauer is lined up to start Wednesday’s series finale.
In triple A, De La Cruz has a .313 average in 48 at-bats against left-handers with three doubles and two homers.
“I’m going to be here for everyone, and for the team, and whatever they want me to contribute in, I will do that,” he said. “I’ll just try and do what I can do, and what I do best. But any way that the team wants me, I’ll just be there and try to perform.”
Stubbs, as the third catcher on the roster, made just 20 appearances, including nine starts, since his contract was selected on April 22. His last two appearances — July 6 in Kansas City and July 10 in Detroit — came as a pitcher in blowouts.
In 28 total at-bats, Stubbs has a .179 batting average.
Extra bases
Aaron Nola (3-7, 5.68 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale against Lauer (4-5, 4.81).
Phillies owner John Middleton spent months planning to host the city’s first All-Star Game in 30 years. Now that it’s over, he joined Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to recap his most memorable moments from the week. He also discussed the upcoming trade deadline and Field of Dreams Game in Iowa, and the future of the top of the Phillies organizational masthead. Watch here. Watch here.
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