ARLINGTON -- Elmer Rodríguez was already on a mission when the call came -- just not the kind he’d been chasing his whole life.
The young Yankees pitcher was in a Pennsylvania hotel room late on Monday evening, deep into Call of Duty: Warzone, when the front desk buzzed up. Shelley Duncan, the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager, was waiting in the lobby with what he would only say was “something urgent.”
“I had no idea,” Rodríguez said. “I was literally just playing video games. It was so weird; 11:40 at night and they’re calling me, especially the receptionist in the hotel. It was kind of fishy, but I went down there and got the news.”
Whatever battles Rodríguez was fighting in the virtual world are now paused.
Rodríguez said his parents are traveling to Texas from Puerto Rico; his mother jumped out of bed with excitement when he relayed the news.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” Rodríguez said. “To get the chance to debut, especially in a Yankees uniform, is something I’ve always dreamed of. I’m happy to be here.”
Owning a 1.27 ERA across four starts this season for the RailRiders, there’s legitimate excitement throughout the organization about Rodríguez, who was acquired from the Red Sox in a December 2024 swap for catcher Carlos Narváez.
He posted an 11-8 record with a 2.58 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) last year, pitching at three levels of the Yanks’ chain.
“I certainly view him as a guy that’s going to have a long career in this game as a starting pitcher,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s coming off a phenomenal year and got off to a great start this year. He’s earned that opportunity. I feel good about him taking the ball. He’s very, very capable.”
Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday, while Will Warren had been originally announced as the scheduled starter for the Texas series finale. He’ll now start instead on Friday, opening a homestand set with the Orioles.
Boone suggested Rodríguez could remain in the rotation until left-hander Carlos Rodón is ready to return from his Minor League rehab assignment. Rodón is scheduled to pitch on Thursday for Double-A Somerset, then will need at least one more turn.
“That keeps everyone in line, which should line up Elmer to potentially get a couple of starts,” Boone said.
To fill out the bench on Tuesday, the Yankees recalled infielder Max Schuemann from Triple-A, the corresponding move as Giancarlo Stanton landed on the injured list with a right calf strain (retroactive to Saturday). To make room for Rodríguez on their roster, the Yankees designated outfielder Randal Grichuk for assignment on Wednesday morning.
Schuemann had 15 hits in 74 at-bats (.203) for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with four doubles, a homer and seven RBIs.
After representing Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Rodríguez pitched well through his first 21 1/3 innings this season in Triple-A, limiting opponents to a .171 batting average while striking out 20 against seven walks.
“It was a great experience to pitch there,” Rodríguez said of the WBC. “It’s close to the same [environment] you’re going to have in the bigs. I feel like it just prepared me more and gave me a little bit to get my feet wet.”
He features a four-seam fastball that sits 96 mph and reaches 99 mph, with an 82-85 mph slider representing his top secondary weapon. Rodríguez also elicits chases with an upper-70s curveball and an upper-80s splitter/changeup.
Rodríguez will take on a Rangers lineup that has struggled to score runs this season, with their 115 runs scored entering Tuesday ranking 26th in the Majors and their .696 team OPS ranked 20th. Texas is scheduled to counter on Wednesday with right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.
“I’ve really been impressed with a lot of our young guys that are knocking on the door, and Elmer is included in that,” Boone said. “He seems to have a really good way and makeup about him. That should serve him well.”