After a lengthy wait, the New York Yankees have finally bolstered their injury-plagued pitching staff by adding veteran left-hander . He was last pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, joined the Yankees on Monday. At the time of publication, it was unclear whether he signed a minor-league contract or would be part of the major league roster for Thursday’s opener.
The 33-year-old Yarbrough posted a 2-0 record with a 4.05 ERA over 6.2 spring innings with the Blue Jays before opting out of his minor-league deal last weekend. Having spent five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Yarbrough is well familiar with the Yankees, holding a strong 2.04 ERA over 57.1 innings against them since his 2018 debut.
Yarbrough made a splash in his rookie year, finishing with a 16-6 record and a 3.91 ERA in 38 games and six starts. Rays manager Kevin Cash frequently used Yarbrough to pitch long innings following an “opener.” In his second season, Yarbrough added 11 wins over 28 games (14 starts). However, inconsistency crept into his performances in the following years, and he left Tampa Bay after 2022.
The 2014 fourth-round pick has since had stints with several teams, including the Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the last two years, he posted a 13-9 record with a 3.82 ERA across 69 games. Yarbrough shined in his brief time with the Blue Jays last summer, registering a 2.01 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. Now, he will have another chance to continue troubling AL East rivals.
