The Yankees have announced that left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough has been activated off the injured list, joining the team ahead of their series against the Astros in Houston.
Yarbrough had been sidelined with an oblique strain for over two months, making three rehab starts in Triple-A where he pitched to a 4.09 ERA.
His 12 strikeouts in 11 innings with just one walk are encouraging signs for where his command is at after the injury, and while the Yankees got some value out of Yarbrough as a starter, he’ll work out of the bullpen for now.
In 16 appearances with the Yankees in 2025, Yarbrough had a 3.90 ERA, 4.73 FIP, and 3.78 xERA, using his deceptive delivery and deep pitch mix to keep hitters off-balance.
He’ll serve as a huge boost for a bullpen that has been much better as of late, as the Yankees’ pitching staff has posted a 3.71 ERA in the month of August.
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Ryan Yarbrough’s Return Serves As Another Upgrade For the Yankees’ Staff
While his numbers don’t jump off of the page, Ryan Yarbrough had been a very effective part of the Yankees’ rotation earlier this season.
The left-hander pitched to a 3.83 ERA and 4.65 FIP across eight starts, gaining more and more confidence in that role as he continued to get a turn in the rotation.
He won’t serve that role in his return from the IL, but the numbers indicate he could be even more effective for New York as a reliever.
Batters have a .238 AVG and .390 SLG% against Yarbrough when he comes out of the bullpen, sporting a career 3.74 ERA in that role.
With the new changeup that he’s picked up with the Yankees and a better feel for his sweeping slider, Yarbrough might be able to generate enough whiffs to work well in a reliever role.
He’s seen his Whiff% increase from 21.1% in 2024 to 27.6% in 2025, and if he can continue to miss bats at that clip, the Yankees could have a loaded bullpen.
Improvements from Devin Williams and Camilo Doval as of late with the continued success of David Bednar and Luke Weaver is encouraging.
Fernando Cruz hasn’t skipped a beat since returning from the IL, and Tim Hill remains one of their best counter punches to a slew of lefties.
The Yankees have had bullpen issues all year, but hopefully the return of Ryan Yarbrough can help glue this group of talented pitchers together for a critical playoff run.