The Yankees didn’t let Bradley Hanner slip away for free.
After Hanner forced the issue earlier in the week by triggering an opt-out in his contract, New York responded by adding the right-hander to the 40-man roster and sending him back to Triple-A for now. It’s the kind of move that keeps a productive reliever in the organization while buying the club time to sort out its pitching plans.
That timing matters because the Yankees are staring at bullpen games in the No. 5 spot in the rotation until Max Fried is ready. Tuesday’s setup could make Hanner useful right away, with Ryan Yarbrough expected to start over Brendan Beck before the rest of the staff takes over from there.
The roster shuffle also came with a familiar name attached. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Yankees transferred Aaron Judge to the 60-day injured list.
Today, the New York Yankees have signed RHP Bradley Hanner to a Major League contract and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees have transferred OF Aaron Judge to the 60-day injured list.
- New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 18, 2026
That move is retroactive and doesn’t change the basic read on Judge’s status. He’s healed, but not fully healed, and he still can’t do upper-body workouts or baseball activities. With that in mind, the Yankees had little reason to keep a 40-man spot tied up while risking Hanner’s departure.
Judge is now eligible to return the first week of August, though the more realistic window appears to be late August or September at the earliest.
Hanner has earned the attention. The former Guardians prospect and sidewinding right-hander has piled up 50 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings at Triple-A, along with a 1.99 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He’s not being sold as some instant Bronx rescue, but the Yankees clearly see enough to keep him close.
And with relief help always in demand, New York has given itself a little over two weeks to decide whether Hanner can become part of the answer - especially if he’s promoted on Tuesday.
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Cody Bellinger is one of the players expected to help steady things, but there is also a broader roster conversation hanging over the club as the trade deadline approaches. If the Yankees are going to keep pace, Brian Cashman may need to look beyond internal fixes and consider upgrades at catcher, along with other moves that could reshape the infield mix. The series in Los Angeles did not just cost them a chance at a cleaner result, it sharpened the question of whether this roster has enough reliable offense as currently built. [Read more 🡒]