NEW YORK -- Justus Sheffield is on his way to The Show.
The Yankees informed Sheffield that he was being promoted to the Majors after Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's loss to Durham in the International League Governors' Cup Finals. The 22-year-old Sheffield is the Yanks' top-rated prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and No. 27 on the overall Top 100 list.
"I am still at a loss for words," Sheffield told the Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Times Leader. "I'm super excited. I just can't believe it."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Sheffield and right-hander Domingo German are expected to join the big league club on Tuesday for the series opener against the Red Sox. Both pitched in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's season-ending loss on Saturday.
"It gives them both a chance to pack up and kind of get settled," Boone said. "You hope that guys get the benefit of [the postseason push], being around it and being a part of it, and hopefully an opportunity to impact in some way and help us out in these final couple of weeks."
The left-handed Sheffield made five starts for Double-A Trenton and appeared in 20 games (15 starts) at Triple-A this year, transitioning to the bullpen late in the season as the Yankees attempted to prepare him for possible September work in the big leagues.
"The transition to the bullpen, obviously, I knew there was something going on there," Sheffield said. "So it was hard for me to block it out and do my thing. When I did, I felt back to myself. It was one of those things where it was hard to block out."
Sheffield went 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA in 88 innings at Triple-A, limiting opponents to 66 hits and a .204 batting average while walking 36 and striking out 84. It is conceivable that he could see duty as a left-handed specialist, then compete for a rotation spot in the spring.
Sheffield recorded three outs in the RailRiders' 6-2 loss to Durham on Saturday. He allowed three unearned runs on two hits in relief of German.
"I had a tough one today," Sheffield said. "I'm not going to lie. I just did not feel good out there. It was just a rough day."
A first-round selection by the Indians in the 2014 Draft (31st overall), Sheffield was acquired from Cleveland in July 2016 along with outfielder Clint Frazier and pitchers J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller in exchange for left-handed reliever Andrew Miller.