The New York Yankees are in the midst of a midseason bullpen shuffle, making a big move on a pitcher just days after he was acquired from their crosstown rival.
The Yankees announced on July 19 that pitcher Rico Garcia was designated for assignment. The Yankees claimed Garcia off waivers from the New York Mets earlier in the week, tapping him to pitch in a 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
The Yankees also brought in some more pitching help after a pair of injuries left them shorthanded.
Yankees Used Rico Garcia for Short-Term Help
The Yankees had picked up the 31-year-old Garcia after the Mets designated him for assignment last week. The Mets used the relief pitcher for 4 and 2/3 scoreless innings after his stint in Triple-A, where he struck out 27.4% of batters but also walked them at a 14.8% rate, the New York Post’s Dan Martin noted.
In announcing that Garcia was designated for assignment, the Yankees also announced that they called up pitcher Allan Winans from Triple-A. Andres Chavez of Empire Sports Media noted that the Yankees need help for their current road trip through Atlanta and Toronto, settling on the volatile Winans.
“Allan Winans is a fascinating call-up,” Chavez wrote. “In the minor leagues, heâs been lights out, posting a 1.19 ERA across 60.2 Triple-A innings. That stat alone jumps off the page, especially considering heâs pitching in the hitter-happy ballparks of the International League.
“But the major leagues have been a different story. In just 6.1 MLB innings, Winans owns an unsightly 8.53 ERA. Itâs a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance that leaves the Yankees gambling on potential more than proven success.”
Yankees in Dire Need of Pitching Help
The Yankees have suffered through some injuries to their pitching staff, with both Cam Schlittler and Max Fried nursing injuries that will keep them out but not warrant a trip to the injured list.
The Yankees tried to give their starting staff a reprieve with a bullpen game against the Braves on Friday but suffered a 7-3 loss.
âWe were in a little bit of a tough spot,â said Yankees manager Aaron Boone after the game, via MLB.com.
The Yankees are expected to get Fried back for his next spot in the rotation, with the veteran pitcher saying he feels good about his blister.
“Itâs progressing well,â Fried said. âWeâre definitely optimistic.â
Fried added that he’s used to dealing with blisters, coming to know exactly what to expect and what he needs in terms of rest and rehab before getting back on the mound.
âItâs something that Iâve dealt with my whole career,â Fried said. âIf you speed it up, thereâs a chance that it comes back quicker. But if you handle it right, normally, you can just go on without many issues.â
The Yankees were hit with injuries even before the season started, losing reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for the first half of the season and sending Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole to get season-ending Tommy John surgery. Gil is expected to return to the team sometime in the coming weeks.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Announcement Brings Bad News for Newly Acquired Pitcher appeared first on Heavy Sports.