Yankees' Ailing Bullpen Could Receive Major Boost in Near Future

A key piece of the Yankees' bullpen should return relatively soon.

Aug 20, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Scott Effross (59) pitches the ball against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports / Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees are close to having one of their major relief pitchers return to MLB action after a long absence with various injuries.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Yankees announced that right-handed reliever Scott Effross was being transferred from the Low-A Tampa Tarpons to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in his rehab assignment.

Prior to Game 2 of the Subway Series on Wednesday, Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo asked Yankees manager Aaron Boone about the timetable for Effross to return from the IL to which Boone said the reliever "still has a ways to go" and will need to "rack up some outings." That said, Boone believes he will be an option for the Yankee bullpen in the coming weeks.

Effross pitched in two games with the Tarpons and threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and one hit allowed. The next time Effross takes the mound it will be his third rehab appearance, which will come with Scranton. If all goes well in his next few outings he should be back in the Yankees' bullpen relatively soon.

Effross hasn't thrown an MLB pitch since 2022 due to multiple surgeries. The Yankees acquired him from the Chicago Cubs for right-handed pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski at the trade deadline two years ago.

The 30-year-old Effross pitched 13 games and posted a 2.13 ERA for the Yankees before he was shutdown with a shoulder strain in 2022. Effross made his Yankee debut on August 2, 2022, and was done just 20 days later. It has been a long road for Effross after getting Tommy John Surgery in the offseason before the 2023 regular season and then undergoing back surgery this past offseason.

The Yankees' bullpen is struggling in the worst way and gave up eight earned runs in 7.2 innings against the Mets in the last two days of the Subway Series. The Yankees, who got swept, have now lost four straight series and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. New York's bullpen has had a rough go as of late and has fallen to 17th with an fWAR of 1.5.

Effross can miss bats with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings in his MLB career from 2021-2022. He has a ground ball rate of around 45 percent as well. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is over five-to-one at 22.3 percent. In 74 big-league games, Effross has posted 71.1 innings, 80 strikeouts, four saves, a 2.78 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.04.

Effross will likely need some time to get back to his full MLB potential after being sidelined for so long. The reeling Yankees are hoping he finds it quickly once he returns.