Following the Yankees‘ five-game losing streak, including a skid of three games where the team hasn’t scored a run, they made a roster move to add pitching depth.
Last night the team optioned Scott Effross back to Triple-A following a scoreless inning of work, making room for JT Brubaker to be activated after his rehab assignment, which was first reported by Robert Murray.
The veteran right-hander has mostly been a starting pitcher for the Pirates, and after the Yankees acquired him in March of 2024, he underwent multiple hiccups in his road back from Tommy John Surgery.
His latest setback was a rib injury he sustained during Spring Training, as he fell down after a line drive struck him, with the fall causing the injury and not the impact of the batted ball.
With Ryan Yarbrough pitching tonight the team could use a long reliever, and Brubaker’s background as a starter could make him a versatile piece for this staff.
JT Brubaker Joins Yankees’ Pitching Staff After Lengthy Road Back To Big Leagues
Across 315.2 innings of work, JT Brubaker has posted a 4.99 ERA with a 23.3% strikeout rate and a 44% groundball rate, as the underlying numbers suggest that there’s some upside here.
His 3.96 xFIP and 4.04 SIERA would indicate that the right-hander is more of a league-average starter than a below-average one, and he’s made some tweaks in the Minor Leagues that could help him perform at a higher level.
In six rehab starts, Brubaker struck out 20.7% of batters faced with a 2.95 ERA and 53.7% GB%, as he used more changeups than he had previously.
Brubaker’s arm angle has dropped to 40 degrees, a new low for him, and he’s all but ditches his four-seam fastball as well.
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There was a decline in sinker velocity as he’s sitting 92.4 MPH, but there could be more room for velocity as he could move to a bullpen role with the Yankees.
The team still values his sharp gyro slider, a pitch that has been a high-whiff weapon for him throughout his professional career, and his curveball has continued to get a lot of usage as well.
With this being his final season under contract, JT Brubaker has an incentive to pitch well and showcase to teams that he can be a productive pitcher in a variety of roles.