The New York Yankees are sticking with right-hander Elmer Rodriguez on the roster for another start, while looking to bring up a reliever against the Toronto Blue Jays, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Rodriguez is coming off the best outing of his young big-league career. The 22-year-old held the New York Mets to one earned run over 4.1 innings on Sunday, May 17. He struck out one and walked a batter. The Yankees were heading toward a series win until a bullpen implosion resulted in a 7-6 loss in extra innings.
The Yankees roster is still awaiting the return of ace Gerrit Cole. The club recently welcomed Carlos Rodon back to the rotation, only to lose Max Fried to an elbow injury. Cole’s continued absence, plus the Fried departure, will allow Rodriguez to make at least one more appearance in the majors.
New York Yankees Roster News: Elmer Rodriguez to Make Another Start, Team Could Add Reliever Against Toronto Blue Jays
Rodriguez fell short of qualifying for the win on Sunday, but he did enough to put the Yankees in position to secure the victory. The righty cruised through the first three frames with just two singles allowed. He ran into trouble in the fourth inning, permitting hits to Mark Vientos and Brett Baty. Second baseman Marcus Semien came through with a two-out double to get the Mets on the board. Rodriguez walked A.J. Ewing to load the bases, then wiggled out of the jam by coaxing a groundout from Hayden Senger.
After hitting Carson Benge and getting Bo Bichette to line out, Rodriguez was pulled in favor of Ryan Yarbrough. Manager Aaron Boone decided to use a lefty against superstar Juan Soto. The move worked, as Yarbrough got Soto to ground out. Vientos singled to put two runners on, but Yarbrough escaped by retiring pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor.
Rodriguez has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all three big-league starts. He’s walking a tightrope in terms of control, though. The righty has an ugly 6:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 13 innings. Rodriguez hasn’t had more strikeouts than walks in any appearance. Walks weren’t typically an issue for Rodriguez in the minors, but he’s struggled to get ahead of hitters in the majors.
Yankees Could Make a Move in the Bullpen
The Yankees’ bullpen coughed up Sunday’s game in impressive fashion. The club entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead. Closer David Bednar allowed singles to the first two hitters, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of the dangerous Soto. Bednar got Soto to ground out, then struck out Vientos. Taylor stepped to the plate and smacked a hanging curveball over the left field wall to knot the game. The Yankees failed to score in the top of the 10th inning. Benge finished off the comeback with a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
New York ranks 11th in bullpen ERA at 3.60. The underlying metrics are encouraging, as the Yankees rank 4th in xERA (3.35) and 8th in xFIP (3.83). The high-leverage options have struggled, though. Sunday’s blow save pushed Bednar’s ERA to nearly 5.00. Camilo Doval has been demoted to low-leverage work.
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