Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees confirmed Wednesday morning that Elmer Rodriguez will be called up from Triple-A Scranton and make his first major league start Wednesday night. The corresponding move was designating Randal Grichuk for assignment, which is not exactly a shock given everything that’s happened on this roster over the past week.
Grichuk played 16 games for the Yankees this season and hit .194/.212/.323 with a 30.3% strikeout rate and a 41 wRC+. He was 59% worse than the average MLB hitter and contributed almost nothing in the opportunities he was given.
With Jasson Dominguez already in the fold after Giancarlo Stanton went on the injured list, carrying another underperforming outfielder didn’t make sense. The Yankees have enough depth in the outfield right now and more pressing things to address. Grichuk will go through waivers and almost certainly end up in someone’s minor league system.
The Rodriguez Moment
This is the story worth paying attention to on Wednesday. Rodriguez has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the International League this season with a 1.27 ERA over 21.1 innings in Scranton. He’s 22 years old, touches 99 mph, throws five pitches, and has handled every level the Yankees have thrown at him with minimal struggle. This is not a guy getting a cup of coffee because the roster needed a body. This is a legitimate prospect earning a legitimate shot.
His first MLB start comes against a Texas Rangers lineup that is capable of making life difficult for young pitchers, so it’s not a soft landing. But Rodriguez has been in competitive environments before and hasn’t flinched. The stuff plays. The command has been excellent this season. The Yankees believe he can give them quality innings while Carlos Rodon finishes his rehab and Gerrit Cole continues building toward a return.
If Rodriguez pitches anything close to how he’s looked in Triple-A, the Yankees are going to have a very difficult decision to make about what happens to his roster spot when the rotation is fully healthy. That’s not a problem they need to solve today. Tonight, they just need him to go out and do what he’s been doing all season.
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