Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Left-Hander Secures Final Roster Spot After Stellar Spring

Veteran left-hander Lucas Luetge has made the New York Yankees 26-man roster, practicing with his teammates at Yankee Stadium before opening day

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — One of the best stories of the spring just got extended into the regular season. 

As the Yankees trickled out onto the field on Wednesday afternoon for their final workout before opening day, starting to play catch down the right-field line, a lanky left-hander was spotted in pinstripes. 

After the workout, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the confirmation Yankees fans had been waiting for.

Lucas Luetge made the team.

"Happy to report that Lucas is on our team," Boone said. "Hard to deny what Lucas was able to come in and do really from the start of camp and really push his way onto the roster, earn his spot. Excited to see what he can potentially go out and do for us."

Luetge was spectacular across nine outings this spring, posting a 1.74 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 10.1 innings. 

This Southpaw Is Catching the Yankees' Attention Early On This Spring

With setup man Zack Britton sidelined after left elbow surgery, and reliever Justin Wilson starting the season on the injured list with shoulder tightness, Luetge was the logical choice to fill the final spot in the bullpen. 

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed on Monday that right-hander Michael King had also made the team. Following the announcement that King had made the roster—as well as utility man Tyler Wade—the Yankees had yet to decide who would occupy the final spot on the 26-man roster. At some point before the club departed from Tampa, heading north to the Bronx, Luetge was notified.

This will be Luetge's first time back in the Majors since 2015, the final year of a four-season stint with the Seattle Mariners.

Wilson is expected to only miss a handful of games—he threw his second bullpen in the last few days on Wednesday—but Luetge can provide depth in the 'pen until his return. Luetge also proved in spring training that he's capable of pitching multiple innings per outing. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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