NEW YORK -- Seeking additional coverage for their bullpen, the Yankees designated veteran right-handed starter Carlos Carrasco for assignment on Tuesday, recalling right-handed reliever Yerry De los Santos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre in a corresponding move.
Carrasco made the club out of Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, filling in as a starter after the Yankees’ rotation was hit by injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. He compiled a 5.91 ERA in eight appearances (six starts), spanning 32 innings.
The 38-year-old Carrasco last appeared in Sunday’s loss to the Rays, allowing two earned runs in three innings out of the bullpen.
“It was a tough call, with how we feel about Cookie,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ve toyed with it for a couple of days now, and just felt like it was the right time.”
Carrasco is in his 16th year in the Majors. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Guardians, which included a triumphant return after battling against cancer in 2019. He then pitched three seasons for the Mets before returning to Cleveland last year.
“What I told him is, ‘I’ve always admired him from across the diamond,’” Boone said. “We got to see it up close, in what a phenomenal human being Carlos is, with the class with which he carries himself. It really was a pleasure to be around him for these last couple of months, and who knows? He may be back here.”
De los Santos, 27, has appeared in one game for the Yankees this season, throwing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen during a win against the Blue Jays in the first game of a doubleheader on April 27. He’s allowed three runs (two earned, both on home runs) and struck out 11 batters over 10 1/3 innings at Triple-A this year.
Moving forward, Boone said left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who tossed four scoreless innings in a spot start on Saturday vs. Tampa Bay, may play a part in the club’s rotation plans moving forward. He also mentioned right-hander Allan Winans, who has not allowed an earned run in 14 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“He’s been throwing the ball well,” Boone said of Winans, 29. “He’s very much in play for us.”
The Yankees are also a little closer to getting infielder DJ LeMahieu back into the fold. The 36-year-old, who hasn’t played this season due to a left calf strain suffered in Spring Training, has advanced his rehab assignment to Triple-A and could be on track to return during the team’s upcoming West Coast trip.
Another pair of rehabbing Yankees participated in live batting practice Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, with designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton facing right-hander Jake Cousins.
Sidelined all spring with epicondylitis in both elbows, Stanton hit a hard ground ball and worked a walk against Cousins, who has yet to appear in a game this season as he returns from a right elbow flexor strain.
“I thought his at-bats were really good,” Boone said. “Cousins is not an easy at-bat for a righty, especially. I thought Cousins looked good and G looked like he was controlling the at-bats pretty well.”
Boone said Stanton will remain in New York during the club’s upcoming West Coast road trip, continuing to hit off a high-velocity Trajekt machine. Boone also indicated Stanton’s eventual Minor League rehab assignment “might be a little different than everyone else’s,” since Stanton will be only concerned with logging at-bats and not playing the field.
In other injury news, right-handed reliever Scott Effross will begin a rehab assignment with the FCL Yankees. Acquired from the Cubs at the 2022 Trade Deadline, Effross has pitched in only 16 games with the Yanks. He underwent Tommy John surgery near the end of the 2022 season, spent all of 2023 recovering and missed most of last year after undergoing back surgery.
Effross has been sidelined by a Grade 2 left hamstring strain since February and dealt with a setback in early April.