Rosters expanded today, and with the New York Yankees bringing back some rehabbing players, they optioned down Ben Rice and Will Warren to make extra room. Joining the team in the Bronx will be Anthony Rizzo, Scott Effross, Ron Marinaccio, and Duke Ellis, making the shocking (and frankly inexcusable) decision to not promote Jasson Dominguez to help them in left field. A surprising call that will certainly go over poorly among fans, the Yankees get some help at first base and in their bullpen, but they may have made a massive mistake.
They’ll play the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals today at 1:35 PM EST, marking Anthony Rizzo’s first start since his arm injury in Boston.
Yankees Make Four Roster Additions, Jasson Dominguez Left in Triple-A
Anthony Rizzo is back, and while he wasn’t doing much offensively this season, he could be an upgrade over the rotating door of first basemen the Yankees have had all season. Across five games, he slashed .182/.308/.455 with a 116 wRC+, playing all of them with the Somerset Patriots in Double-A. The Yankees are hoping he can get hot at the right time as this team needs a spark at first base, but at the very least they’re hoping he can provide steady defense and keep this team afloat.
The Yankees have a 72 wRC+ at first base and -1.3 fWAR, but the hope is that Anthony Rizzo is just solid enough to give them some semblance of contributions. As for their bullpen, Ron Marinaccio and Scott Effross have thrown the ball well in Triple-A, and they should provide some nice depth to a group that could always use some added help. There’s a lane for Effross to become a high-leverage weapon for this team, as he has an excellent Major League track record but has seen his career go sideways because of multiple surgeries.
READ MORE: Yankees option 2 rookies, prepare for return of Anthony Rizzo
His velocity ticked up after the Yankees gave him a six-day break between August 3rd and August 9th, and he’s allowed just one run while striking out 30% of batters faced. The stuff is starting to come around, and hopefully, we can see the version of Effross we got back in 2022 when he was one of the better right-handed relievers in the sport. Ron Marinaccio will likely be optioned the next time the Yankees need a starter, so his stay on this team seems very temporary, but he’s been solid at the Major League level this year and has turned in a strong season in Scranton.
As for Duke Ellis, he’s a pinch-runner who doesn’t provide much offensively, and he makes for a shocking addition over Jasson Dominguez. It seems as if Alex Verdugo will be their left fielder for the rest of the season, and now it leaves fans wondering whether The Martian will get a chance to start this season at all. It’s a gross decision in my eyes; one that signals that loyalty to veterans comes above trying to win baseball games. This kind of organizational culture is toxic for a pursuit of a championship, but perhaps that’s why one has eluded them over the last 15 years.
If the Yankees fail to bring home the pennant, their fanbase will rightfully look back on the decision to keep down Dominguez and keep Verdugo in left field as one of the most grotesque in recent memory. They’re in a heated division race and they needed someone like Jasson Dominguez to give them that extra spark; now we know that winning may not be at the top of their priority list.