Gerrit Cole set the tone for the Yankees on Thursday night, and Ryan Yarbrough helped finish the job.
After Cole worked through a shaky first inning and still delivered six innings of one-run ball in New York’s sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees turned to Yarbrough to cover the middle ground and spare a bullpen that had already been asked to do plenty. That assignment came with real importance: keep the game quiet, protect the lead, and avoid leaning on David Bednar, Brent Headrick, or Paul Blackburn.
Yarbrough handled it cleanly. He threw three scoreless innings, struck out four, didn’t allow a hit, and didn’t issue a walk. It was his third save of the year, and by the end of the night he had done exactly what the Yankees needed.
That matters because his spot has been under pressure. Yarbrough has not had much room to settle in this season, and when he has gotten chances, the results have often gone the wrong way.
Since July, he has logged just 14.1 innings and allowed eight runs, including two unearned. The bigger problem has been inherited runners scoring after he enters games.
The timing is important, too. The Yankees are expected to face roster decisions once their rotation is back to full strength and Max Fried returns from what is supposed to be a brief stay on the injured list. When that happens, one of Ryan Weathers or Will Warren will move to the bullpen, and someone else will have to come off the main roster.
Yarbrough is clearly one of the players whose status is most fragile. Still, there are other paths the Yankees could take before designating him for assignment.
Bradley Hanner could be sent back to Triple-A; he has one appearance in the majors and three options remaining. Yerry De los Santos is another possibility, with one option left and a place lower on the depth chart than Yarbrough.
The Yankees also have to separate two different questions: who can help now, and who should be trusted in October. Yarbrough’s outing Thursday doesn’t settle the postseason debate, but it does reinforce why he remains on the roster bubble.
For the moment, the Yankees need him as an innings-eater, someone who can take pressure off an overworked bullpen. That job still has value, even if De los Santos or Hanner may not be able to do it as well.
Yarbrough has not been good overall, and a DFA would not shock anyone once the roster is healthier. But if Thursday night turns into a turning point, the Yankees may have bought themselves a little more use out of a pitcher who still has something to offer.
In Other News...
Jasson Dominguez Is Giving The Yankees A Tougher Outfield Decision
After the trade deadline, the Yankees sent Jasson Domnguez down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to create room for Heliot Ramos, a move that reflected just how unsettled the outfield picture had become. Domnguez had been expected to keep pressing his case for a larger role, but his major league performance this season has not given the club much reason to force the issue, and the organization now appears to be looking more seriously at other outfield options for the future.
Domnguez has not exactly made the decision easier in the minors, either. Over 10 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his offense has stayed quiet, leaving the Yankees with a player whose long-term upside is still part of the conversation but whose immediate path back to the lineup feels less certain than it did not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Sweep Bid Comes With A New Third Base Concern
Gerrit Cole is doing his part to keep the Yankees moving in the right direction. Over his last four starts, he has worked to a 1.46 ERA and has not allowed a home run in 25 innings, giving New York a steady edge as it lines up for a shot at an Orioles sweep with Cole set to face Kyle Bradish. It is the kind of stretch the Yankees can lean on, especially with the rotation trending the right way and the club still trying to keep momentum rolling late in the season.
The infield alignment, though, is getting a little shakier at third base. Jose Caballero is slated to start there because Ryan McMahon is dealing with a thumb injury, adding another layer to a spot the Yankees would prefer to keep settled. Cody Bellingers rehab assignment in the minors offers a bit of encouraging injury news after his strained left hamstring, but for now the immediate concern is how New York patches together the left side of the infield while trying to finish off Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Made A Telling Bet On Their Next Wave
The Yankees are already looking years down the road in the international market, and their latest reported move underscores how aggressively they want to stay in that lane. The club has reportedly lined up a verbal agreement with a teenage Dominican outfielder who is drawing attention for his speed, power and production at the plate, a sign the organization is willing to commit meaningful resources now for a player it cannot officially sign yet.
What makes the bet especially notable is the size of the commitment, which would take up a significant portion of the teams recent international signing pool. For a Yankees front office balancing the present with the future, it is another reminder that the next wave of talent may not arrive through the usual routes alone, especially with possible changes to MLBs international signing rules looming later on. [Read more 🡒]