With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón back in the Yankees’ rotation, a staff that began the year in flux (and excelled despite it) is beginning to settle in. Still, with Max Fried a ways off from returning, the odds that the team will need to dip into its depth at Triple-A, either for a spot start or to replace an injured starter, remain high. Let’s take a look at who’s available down at Triple-A should additional reinforcements be needed. Note that Luis Gil has been on the minor-league IL with shoulder inflammation since May 8th, so he’s not in the discussion.
Elmer Rodríguez
In three starts with the Yankees this season, Rodríguez has clearly not been at his best. Baseball America’s 59th-ranked prospect entering the year has struck out six against nine walks; at Triple-A, his K:BB ratio is a much more tenable 34:15. Still, despite this underwhelming demonstration of his stuff and the fact that he didn’t make it through five innings in any of the outings, Rodríguez kept the Yankees in all three games, showing a tenacity and focus that belie his years and raise his floor.
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Given his prospect pedigree and promising showing in limited MLB action, the 22-year-old remains the Yankees’ best option, whether for a single start or for a few turns through the rotation. One cause for alarm in the event Rodríguez gets another shot soon is his 6.03 expected ERA, a number which dwarfs his actual 4.15 mark.
Brendan Beck
When Ryan Weathers was ill on May 7th, Brendan Beck’s life was forever changed. He got the call to fill in, pitching behind opener Paul Blackburn and allowing two runs in three innings of work. It was a fine-if-unremarkable debut, the largest takeaway from which may have been that it forced the Yankees to add him to their 40-man roster.
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Beck’s 4.42 ERA in 10 starts with Scranton doesn’t jump out and, at 27 with an injury history, the Stanford product has never been a top prospect (MLB Pipeline has 12 Yankees pitchers ahead of him in their rankings). Still, if another spot start is in order, the fact that the 2021 second-round pick can easily be called up without having to make room on the 40-man is appealing, particularly if the timing doesn’t line up with Rodríguez’s turn in the rotation. The right-hander has thrown at least 80 pitches each of his last three starts and should be able to give length if called upon.
Carlos Lagrange
Lagrange, he of the 103-mph fastball, may be the most tantalizing hurler in wait at Triple-A. There’s little question he has the raw stuff to pitch in the bigs. But, in 10 starts, he’s gone 0-2 with a 4.78 ERA and a 4.98 BB/9. That’s hardly enough to jump Rodríguez and Beck, both of whom are on the 40-man. There’s been talk that his repertoire could make him a more viable weapon out of the bullpen, and that could eventually come to pass in the second half of 2026. For now, the Yankees have insisted on keeping him stretched out. The coming months will be an important opportunity for the 23-year-old to show he can stick in a rotation, but he’ll need to show more before he’s in serious play for a start in the Show.
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Ryan Yarbrough & Paul Blackburn
As always, in the event a spot start is called for, a bullpen game will be in play. Both Yarbrough and Blackburn have performed reasonably well in long relief roles and have extensive starting experience, making them options to pitch multiple innings either as openers or bulk arms.
After making three solid fill-in starts, Elmer Rodríguez remains the clear next man up, effectively serving as the Yankees’ shadow sixth starter. Brendan Beck is a useful depth option should Rodríguez be unavailable, with a bullpen game another avenue the team could take in a pinch.
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