In a bit of a head-scratcher on Sunday afternoon, the Yankees made a roster move that raised more than a few eyebrows. Despite a stellar start to the season, lefty reliever Brent Headrick was optioned to Triple-A following the team’s 5–4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The move cleared a spot for veteran right-hander Adam Ottavino, who re-signed with the club after declining an outright assignment just a few days earlier.
Headrick’s Numbers Made the Decision Tough to Swallow
Headrick, 27, has been nothing short of lights-out for the Yankees to open the 2025 season. Over 5.1 innings, he’s posted a spotless 0.00 ERA, struck out nine batters, and held a 100% left-on-base rate. That kind of production usually earns more trust, not a ticket back to the minors.
His strikeout rate is through the roof at 15.1 per nine innings, and he’s keeping hitters off balance with a deadly trio of a rising four-seam fastball, tight slider, and a diving splitter. His peripherals are as sharp as it gets—ranking in the 97th percentile in chase rate, strikeout rate, and 81st percentile in whiff rate. Even though he’s only logged a small sample, those are elite marks that point toward sustainable success.
Headrick, who was plucked off waivers from the Twins earlier this spring, appears to be a project that’s quickly paying off. Over two years with Minnesota, he threw just 28.2 innings with mixed results, but something seems to have clicked in pinstripes.
Making Room for Ottavino… For Now
The re-addition of Adam Ottavino, 39, suggests the Yankees are prioritizing experience in the short term. Ottavino tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in a brief stint earlier this week, and with the bullpen still waiting on key arms to return from injury, he gives them another immediate option.
But this likely isn’t the last we’ll see of Headrick. He still has one minor league option remaining, giving the Yankees the flexibility to bounce him between Scranton and the Bronx as needed throughout the season. If his early performance is any indication, he’ll be back sooner than later—and possibly carving out a more permanent role by midseason.
With injuries thinning the rotation and some bullpen inconsistencies already bubbling up, every effective arm will matter. Headrick might be down, but he’s far from out.