With Carlos Rodón scheduled to make a second rehab start this week, one of the the biggest questions among Yankees prognosticators is whether Will Warren or Ryan Weathers should bounce to the bullpen once he returns. It’s a delightful rarity in the modern game to have a glut at starting pitcher. Still, as close as the Yankees seem to be to having too much starting pitching, the injury bug is always lurking. As the Yankees make their playoff push, it’s still within reason that they could need to call on support from Triple-A, as they did last year when Cam Schlittler emerged late as a vital force in their October rotation.
In the event that the team needs a replacement, let’s take a look at the reinforcements available to them down at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Elmer Rodríguez
Rodríguez has been the Yankees’ default spot starter all year, filling in four times across three stints in the big leagues. He’s been consistent, tossing between 4 and 4.2 innings and allowing between 1-3 runs each time out. His xERA of 5.77 implies he’s pitched into some good luck, though, as does his untenable 10:11 K:BB ratio, making him a dodgy choice to fill in for an extended period.
Rodríguez has been down at Triple-A for nearly two months since his last call-up and has pitched well, posting a 2.62 ERA with just one home run allowed in his last seven starts, though his 21 free passes in 34.1 innings demonstrate control is still an issue. The rookie is also stretched out to throw as many as 90 pitches, which could prove valuable in a pinch.
Brendan Beck
Like Rodríguez, Beck has been called up to provide some length this year, first in a bulk outing behind Paul Blackburn and then as a true starter. That second outing was a disaster in which the Stanford product allowed five runs (including three home runs) in 3.2 innings, looking overmatched against the Twins’ offense.
Beck has been much more effective down at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he’s posted a 1.33 ERA at 35:8 K:BB ratio over his last five starts. He’s stretched out as well, throwing a season-high 94 pitches his last time out. That should be enough to keep him in the mix should a need arise, though he hasn’t shown much upside as a long-term play.
Bullpen Day!
Everyone’s favorite — the placeholder approach. In the event only a single spot start is needed due to a doubleheader, a desire to give each starter an extra day of rest, or a short-term injury, the Yankees may choose to use one reliever as an opener and another as a bulk guy. Ryan Yarbrough — the only Yankee stretched out for a long relief role now that Blackburn is a back-end reliever — would be the obvious choice for the latter role.
Elmer Rodríguez and Brendan Beck are viable depth options with the potential to provide big league-caliber innings if needed. Neither is likely to contribute in a regular capacity this year. Should the rest of the group remain healthy upon Rodón’s return, the Yankees might consider sending Warren, whose performance has been uneven but who has had stretches of excellence over the past two seasons, down to Triple-A instead of bouncing him to the bullpen, keeping him stretched out as a rotation option down the stretch.