BRON, NY — Moments after the Yankees’ 10-2 loss to the Reds Saturday afternoon, catcher J.C. Escarra and pitcher Jake Bird were optioned to Triple-A Scranton in roster moves that had to be made. In place of catcher Austin Wells returning from the injured list, rookie Elmer Rodríguez was recalled and will start the Sunday afternoon series ending finale at Yankee Stadium.
Bird will return, pitching an inning or so of relief and basically stabilizing himself as a reliable right-hander in pinstripes. Meanwhile Escarra has provided support at the position that Wells continues to recover from with cervical headaches. Though the Yankees still opted to retain Ali Sánchez as the backup.
Ali Sánchez has made the most out of his opportunity so far, compiling five hits across hit first 16 at-bats as a Yankee with a walk – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
In the meantime, manager Aaron Boone and his team are in a stretch of 16 consecutive games with Saturday standing out as another example of why roster moves are made as the season is vastly approaching the midpoint.
“It’s nothing other than this long stretch,” Boone said. “Just giving all our starters an extra day. Everyone else will bounce back a day. It’s something we’ve been kicking around the last few days.”
Regardless, the Yankees bullpen has been compiling innings as starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlitter, and Will Warren get through six. It has worked to a point but a time when taxing the pen can take a toll, hence temporary moves, are made and surely there will be many more as the season progresses.
Overall on the season, the Yankees stand 46-279 which is good for first in the American League and third in MLB behind the Dodgers and Braves – mage Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Rodríguez (0-1, 4.15 ERA), the Yankees’ No. 2 overall prospect, getting his fourth MLB career nod, with time telling how long this latest duration will last in the big leagues, has a lightning fastball, and curveball with movement. Sunday’s outing will be another test as there are future plans to be a part of their starting rotation.
As Boone said about Rodríguez: “He’s had some bumps, but I feel like he’s managed it well. He’s shown some poise out there in some moments where it had chances to get away.”
The Yankees are giving the 22-year-old Puerto Rican native, another opportunity for the rookie who was scheduled to pitch Saturday for Scranton instead of Cole who starts Monday in Detroit opening a three game series.
No reason to panic, though the early August trade deadline is on the horizon. The Yankees are expected again to be active and seeking a few needs for bullpen help, even as they continue to be division leaders over Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Saturday was not the best of days at the ballpark for the Yankees, despite another sellout crowd (46,089) and perfect baseball weather. Warren, allowing eight hits across 5-⅔ innings, walking two, struck out eight Reds with four looking.
Though, it was Cincinnati’s rookie Sal Stewart tying a career-high with six RBI including a three-run homer off Warren who sustained his first loss since May 6th. The Yankees also had their most run differential loss of the season (10-2) as the defense was shabby, resulting in four unearned runs.
Not pretty and not at all bad. Basically, the Reds are not quitting on a season that is a young team—9.5 games off the pace in the NL Central and 3.0 from a spot for the NL Wild Card.
Elly De La Cruz of the Reds, a superstar for Cincinnati, was placed on the injured list on June 1st due to a right hamstring strain – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Rookie and 22-year old Edwin Arroyo—one of 20 Puerto Rican-born MLB players to appear in a game in 2026—had a career day, going 4-for 5, a career high with four hits. Starter Andrew Abbott pitched five plus innings with one run allowed and five hits, improving to 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA over his last 10 starts. The one hit through the first four innings was a two-out Paul Goldschmidt solo home run (12) to right-center in the first.
Goldschmidt continued his hot streak, with four home runs in his last seven games.
But the Yankees could not contain Stewart, as the Reds left no doubt of the outcome with a four-run eighth inning. Warren for the most part has been effective, and the bullpen has done their part despite logging a deep amount of innings.
Across his 5.2 innings of work on Saturday vs. Orioles at Yankee Stadium, Will Warren recorded eight strikeouts, falling three Ks short of his season high – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Warren said: “I could have been better. We’ve got to find a way to minimize the damage there,” referring to Stewart and his day at the plate and the Jasson Domíinguez error throwing to the wrong base after a shoestring catch.
The chance to double up Arroyo at second base went out the window as Domínguez, getting the start in right, said he was looking at making the play for an attempt at second base.
“I just rushed to throw the ball. It was a bad throw, but I definitely think I had a chance.”
But the chances were minimal for the Yankees, as Domínguez, moving from center to right, has also been a maneuver with the absence of Aaron Judge and Trent Grishom sidelined due to injuries.
“Overall, the stuff felt great today,” Warren said. “They just put the big swing there in the fifth to put the crooked number up.”
And on the bad numbers side, the Yankees look to minimize during the upcoming stretch. The Reds have an opportunity to take this series and Boone is confident the pitching rotation move will provide what is needed. An extra day for Cole and perhaps some leverage with an overworked bullpen that used position player Max Schuemann to finish the ninth inning will boost the rotation getting an extra day while Dominguez erases the mistake on Saturday.
“Experience will help,” Boone said about Domínguez. “We need to play the long game with all these guys during the summer and long stretch.”
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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