Aaron Boone addressed the media prior to the Yankees‘ matchup tonight against the White Sox in Chicago, where he revealed how the team will utilize Ryan Yarbrough.
The left-handed pitcher served as their fifth starter for most of May and June before hitting the IL with a strain that kept him sidelined for a huge chunk of 2025.
Instead of putting him back in the rotation, the Yankees will use him as a reliever, with Luis Gil, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler all remaining inside the starting five.
Yarbrough originally came out of the bullpen for the team to start 2025 before an injury to Marcus Stroman changed their strategy.
A crafty lefty, the Yankees are hoping he can provide a funky look and some multi-inning work depending on what the situation calls for.
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Ryan Yarbrough Set To Work Out of the Yankees’ Bullpen
When the Yankees inked Ryan Yarbrough to a $2 million deal ahead of the 2025 season, they knew he was capable of working in the rotation and out of the bullpen.
His 3.90 ERA and 3.78 xERA in 55.1 innings of work in both roles reflects what the Yankees hoped for, and there’s some more upside with him out of the bullpen.
In his career, Yarbrough has a 4.65 ERA as a starter and a 3.74 ERA as a reliever, with the hope being that Yarbrough can provide some bulk innings if needed or get a tough lefty out.
Left-handed batters have a career .209 BA and .342 SLG% against Yarbrough across his career.
In three rehab starts, Ryan Yarbrough posted a 4.09 ERA and 28.6% strikeout rate, as his 2.80 FIP is more reflective of his actual pitching prowess at the Triple-A level.
The Yankees expect to activate the left-hander soon, but since he delivered his rehab outing on Tuesday, the team will wait until he’s rested and ready to pitch before putting him on the roster.
Rosters expand on September 1st, allowing the Yankees to add another pitcher without removing another off of the 26-man group, so they could end up waiting until then as well.