LATEST NEWS

March 30: Yankees acquire Colten Brewer from Rays
On Wednesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees had "a potential deal going" to add another pitcher to their roster. The Yankees shined some light on that statement on Thursday when they added another arm to their bullpen by trading for Brewer, who the Rays had reassigned to Triple-A Durham. Brewer spent most of 2022 with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, where he went 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. On Dec. 11, 2022, he signed a Minor League free agent deal with the Rays that included an invite to Major League Spring Training. He threw 9 1/3 scoreless innings in Spring Training with the Rays.

A veteran of four Major League seasons, his best season came in 2019 where he had a 4.12 ERA in 54 2/3 innings with the Red Sox.

March 30: Recalled RHP Jhony Brito from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; signed SS Anthony Volpe to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster
Brito, 25, is slated to make his Major League debut against the Giants on Sunday after posting a 2.08 ERA over four Grapefruit League games (two starts), spanning 13 innings. Volpe, 21, is the club’s top prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He’s just the fourth Yankee to make his Major League debut on Opening Day at age 21 or younger, and the first since Mickey Mantle in 1951.

March 30: OF Franchy Cordero signs Major League deal
The Yankees shored up their Opening Day roster by signing Cordero to a Major League contract. Cordero’s contract is a split deal that will pay him $1 million in the Major Leagues and $180,000 in the Minor Leagues, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Cordero, who spent Spring Training with the Orioles before being granted his release from the club on Monday, spent last season with the Red Sox, where he slashed .219/.300/.397 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 84 games.

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INJURY UPDATES

10-day and 15-day IL

LHP Carlos Rodón (left elbow strain)
Expected return: Mid- to late April
Rodón began a throwing program on March 17 and threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on March 23. He threw another session on March 27 and said he felt comfortable. Rodón was diagnosed with a mild strain of the brachioradialis after experiencing discomfort during a March 5 start against the Braves. Rodón said he pitched through a similar issue last May with the Giants. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30.

“I’m just really focused on trying to get back,” Rodón said. “I’m not looking at the time; I’m looking at every day. [March 27] was a big day for me. I circled it on the calendar, because I knew it was going to be my second bullpen and I wanted to throw with a little more intensity. That’s kind of my mindset … I just want to conquer each day.” (Last updated: March 30)

RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain)
Expected return: Possibly late April or May
Severino sustained a right lat strain while working out following his March 21 start against the Tigers, according to manager Aaron Boone. Severino was hit hard this spring, allowing 15 runs in 15 innings for a 9.00 ERA. Severino has said that he would be “blessed” to miss three to five starts during the regular season. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30. (Last updated: March 30)

RHP Tommy Kahnle (right biceps tendinitis)
Expected return: April
Kahnle played catch on March 16, but he experienced soreness in his right biceps. He received a cortisone injection on March 21, according to manager Aaron Boone. Kahnle said that he experienced a similar biceps tendinitis issue in the past, most recently in 2018, when he attempted to pitch through the injury and was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Kahnle said that issue took about a month to resolve in '18. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30.(Last updated: March 30)

OF Harrison Bader (left oblique strain)
Expected return: Week of April 20
Bader is in the early stages of his recovery, but he is “doing better than we anticipated,” according to manager Aaron Boone. Bader said that he is feeling improvement and has been performing rotational exercises, but has not resumed swinging a bat. Bader strained his oblique on a swing against the Cardinals on March 8 and is expected to need about six weeks for a big league return. Boone said that the injury has been characterized as a "high grade" strain. Bader was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30. (Last updated: March 30)

RHP Lou Trivino (right elbow ligament sprain)
Expected return: Possibly May
Trivino is expected to miss the first month of the season after being diagnosed with a mild ligament sprain near his pitching elbow, general manager Brian Cashman said on March 9. Trivino resumed a throwing program on March 13, according to manager Aaron Boone. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30. (Last updated: March 30)

RHP Frankie Montas (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly second half
Montas underwent arthroscopic surgery on Feb. 21 in Los Angeles, a procedure performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who cleaned up the hurler’s labrum. Montas said that he “for sure” expects to pitch in the big leagues this season, and he could begin playing catch as soon as the week of May 7. Recurring inflammation in the shoulder affected Montas last season with the Athletics and Yankees, and he said that he “wasn’t fully 100 percent” when the Yankees acquired him in a six-player trade on Aug. 1. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30.(Last updated: March 30)

C Ben Rortvedt (shoulder aneurysm)
Expected return: April-June
Rortvedt underwent a procedure on Feb. 22 to address an aneurysm of the posterior artery near his left shoulder, which will keep him out of baseball activities for at least a month. Rortvedt suggested that he could need two or three months off before returning. He was experiencing discoloration on the fingers of his left hand, which prompted the examinations. “I was super excited about Spring Training, but it came up as something we couldn’t dismiss,” he said. “That came as a shock. It’s pretty frustrating.” He was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to March 27, on March 30. (Last updated: March 30)

60-day IL

RHP Scott Effross (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2024
Effross underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2022 and began a throwing program on March 6. He said that his recovery is going well. Given the typical timeline of 12-18 months, Effross is expected to miss the entire 2023 season. He remained behind in Tampa, Fla., when the team headed north. Effross was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 30. (Last updated: March 30)

RHP Luis Gil (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Second half of 2023
Gil underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2022, and he's expected to return to the mound some time during the second half of the ‘23 season. The right-hander was activated from the 60-day injured list on Nov. 10, though that was a procedural move. Gil resumed playing catch on Oct. 4 at the Yankees’ player development complex in Tampa, Fla., and will continue his rehab. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 30. (Last updated: March 30)

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