Perhaps the Yankees’ biggest September call-up of them all is coming in the form of relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough’s activation off the injured list.
The Bronx Bombers have the veteran lefty back in their ranks, making the move during their off-day on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Astros down in Houston.
The 33-year-old has been down since mid-June after suffering an oblique strain. While he served as a starter in eight of his 16 appearances during his debut campaign with the Yankees, he will serve as an invaluable multi-inning option out of the bullpen and a second left-handed option alongside Tim Hill.
Yarbrough made three rehab starts in Triple-A, posting a 4.09 ERA with 12 strikeouts and just one walk in 11 innings of work. It’s not far off from his production in the majors before his IL stint, owning a 3.90 ERA this season.
Another reliable arm out of the bullpen provides more promising news for the Yankees’ bullpen, which is appearing to stabilize after a chaotic first four months of the season.
Devin Williams, who has been moved out of the closer’s role, has a 1.08 ERA over his last nine appearances. Luke Weaver, one of Williams’ replacements before he went down on the IL and struggled mightily upon his return, has a 1.56 ERA in his last 17 outings.
While trade-deadline acquisition Camilo Doval has put up four straight clean appearances, another late-July pick-up, David Bednar, has a 1.54 ERA with just four hits allowed in his last 10 games (11.2 innings pitched).
