Following a three-inning performance that kept the Yankees‘ afloat in their loss to the Guardians, Yoendrys Gomez is the roster casualty for the addition of veteran reliever Tyler Matzek. The left-hander excelled in a bullpen role with the Atlanta Braves from 2020-2024, but injuries in the last few seasons have resulted in a decrease in fastball velocity and performance on the mound. Matzek, who was rehabbing from an injury in the Minor Leagues, had a 3.18 ERA and 28% K% through his five rehab outings.
The Yankees are hoping he can provide an upgrade from the left-handed side, as his fastball velocity is back up and his stuff looks back to where it was before his elbow surgery in 2022.
Tyler Matzek Joins Yankees, Yoendrys Gomez Designated For Assignment
Tyler Matzek immediately provides a strong fastball to a bullpen that lacks velocity, as no one in their bullpen is averaging over 94 MPH on their fastballs, while the left-hander is sitting 94.6 MPH on his four-seamer.
Matzek also has a mid-90s sinker that he’s unveiled this offseason, and his signature slider is still as sharp as ever, giving the Yankees some faith that he could be a real bullpen weapon for them this season.
His postseason experience is valued as well because he’s going to pitch in a massive market for a contender in the Bronx, and the ability to handle that kind of pressure cannot be questioned.
Yoendrys Gomez made the Yankees’ roster out of camp when he desperately needed to, but his stay in the Bronx seems to be temporary as the right-hander finds himself on the waiver wire.
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While the youngster had a 2.70 ERA across 10 innings, his xERA and FIP were north of 6.00, indicating that he was due for a harsh regression. The quality of contact allowed is not pleasant, with hitters barrelling the ball against him 16.7% of the time.
He also walked 20% of batters faced while striking out just 11% of batters faced, and after being used for three innings last night, he would not have been available for today or tomorrow’s contests either.
Gomez had been used as a low-leverage reliever who was often avoided when the game was still in reach, and he had not performed in his lone high-leverage situation as he allowed a two-run walk-off home run.