The Yankees today announced a series of roster moves involving right-handed pitchers. They signed Michael Fulmer to a major league contract and recalled Elmer Rodriguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In corresponding active roster moves, they sent Bradley Hanner to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and placed Fernando Cruz on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow soreness. Kervin Castro has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot for Fulmer. All movements are connected to recent injury developments in different ways. The Yankees put Max Fried on the injured list a couple of weeks ago. That coincided with the return of Carlos Rodón from the IL, giving the club a quick solution in the short term. But not long after that, Ryan Weathers followed Fried to the disabled list, opening a hole in the rotation. Rodríguez is going to fill that for now by starting today’s game. It’s unclear if he will stay or if this is just a start. The Yankees play a doubleheader against the Red Sox on Saturday and don’t have a day off until next Thursday, meaning today is their second game in a span of ten games in nine days. Fried could come off the disabled list as soon as that double bill arrives, but the Yankees may still want to have Rodriguez around for another outing down that stretch. He has a 4.76 ERA in four starts in positions this year, but a 2.59 ERA in Triple-A. A movement in the bullpen has also become necessary. Cruz’s situation is not entirely clear, but his results have been trending downward. He had a 2.51 ERA through the end of July, but has a 6.75 ERA in August. He is a key setup arm for the Yankees, with two saves and 19 holds on the year. If he requires only a minimal stint on the injured list, he would return with enough time to make a few more appearances and return to form before the postseason. However, if he goes any longer, he could risk missing the rest of the regular season or the start of the playoffs. To get a fresh arm in the bullpen, the Yankees signed Fulmer. He just elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Angels and clearing waivers. He had only been added to the Halos roster a few days earlier. He made three goalless appearances before being delisted again. Three appearances isn’t much to go on, but Fulmer has a solid track record and has been good in the minors this year. From 2021 to 2023, he logged 190 1/3 innings in the majors with a 3.55 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate, and 40% ground ball rate. His 2024 was voided by UCL surgery. He returned to the mound last year, but was mostly stuck in the minors, making only three major league appearances. He had to settle for a minor league contract with the Giants this year. He was pitching well, but was released earlier this month, perhaps indicating he had opted out of that pact. As mentioned, he had a brief stint in the majors with the Halos. In Triple-A this year, he has pitched 43 innings with a 2.93 ERA, all that work in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His 11.5% walk rate is high, but he has hit 28.6% of opponents. As for Castro, he just landed on the 15-day injured list on August 10 due to neuritis in his right elbow. His status isn’t exactly clear, but this transfer means he won’t be eligible for reinstatement until October. He’s a depth arm for the Yankees and wasn’t likely to be on the postseason roster even if healthy. He is in his last option season and will run out of options next year. The IL disappears five days after the World Series. At that point, the club will have to decide whether or not to include him back in the 40-man squad. Photo courtesy of William Navarro, Imagn Images
