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There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, so what was it that I said about the Yankees’ bullpen yesterday morning before we knew of the latest roster moves?

The Yankees’ bullpen deserves a lot of credit for exceeding expectations in 2026. There was plenty of eye-rolling in the offseason when it became clear that they were going with pretty much the same bunch that ended 2026, minus Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. Minimal offseason improvements were made.

And yes, there were absolutely misses. Camilo Doval and Jake Bird were terrible; they’ve since been traded. But while David Bednar’s success was expected … Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, and Fernando Cruz 2: Electric Boogaloo? They’ve helped this pitching staff stand up and carry the team during a wretched stretch for the bats. The bad news is that because said bats were, again, so wretched for so long, the Yankees were always playing close ballgames, and Aaron Boone had to ride the bullpen’s best like mid-2000s Joe Torre or else risk close games falling into the hands of Doval, Bird, Ryan Yarbrough, or whoever the 26th man happened to be that day.

Well, now the worm has turned. It’s more apparent for Cruz, who has surrendered 11 runs and five homers across his last 13.2 innings, but Headrick got hit hard last night as well. There is very little wiggle room at this point in the AL East race for the Yankees to be giving away ballgames when the offense actually shows up, but that’s what happened.

A few hours after that posted, the Yankees announced that Cruz was going on the IL with ominous right elbow discomfort. Annnnnd a few hours after that, Aaron Boone told reporters in the postgame that Cruz had a partially torn UCL. Zoinks. Cruz and Headrick were two of the 18 relievers in MLB to reach 60 appearances already, and barring a miracle, it doesn’t sound like the former will be adding to his total for the remainder of 2026.

Suddenly, here’s what the Yankees’ bullpen looks like at the moment:

RHP David Bednar
LHP Brent Headrick
RHP Paul Blackburn
LHP Tim Hill
RHP Yerry De los Santos
RHP Michael Fulmer
RHP Justin Topa
LHP Ryan Yarbrough

So that’s different! Further tweaks could be on the horizon, as Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers are working their way back from injury as relievers and the team is tentatively expecting both to play a role. Luis Gil and Angel Chivilli could make returns from the minors as well. But even with Cruz’s recent scuffles, that group seems less reliable without him. There’s reason for optimism with Matt Blake’s apparatus here, but it’s hard to predict how, say, Schmidt and Weathers fare when neither have been relievers for a hot minute.

I think Schmidt and Weathers are talented enough to make it work if they are healthy enough to return to the big-league roster, and even Gil could provide some innings now that he’s been converted. Maybe it’s just a one-game one-off, but hell, even Fulmer looked good in his Yankees debut on Monday night. It’s hard to strike out a hitter as gifted as Triple Crown threat Yordan Alvarez on accident.

I go back and forth on this topic. I have enough confidence in the overall operation that I’ll say I’m not too worried yet. On a scale of 1-5, I’ll say about a 3.5 in terms of confidence. If neither Schmidt nor Weathers can be effective in a relief comeback, then it’s certainly dropping to a three or worse.

Regardless, I am still worried at how much Headrick and Bednar have had to pitch in 2026, and as alluded in the earlier excerpt, I am forever scarred by the playoff impact of Torre’s overuse of guys like Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, and Scott Proctor. Yes, it’s been a very long time since then, and even at their apex, Aaron Boone does not use his arms quite as freely. Hopefully, the 24 runs scored across the last few games portend a long-awaited offensive rebound and the bats can give the most-used arms at least a couple extra days off here and there.

Today on the site, Andrés will profile new Yankees reliever Justin Topa, Sam will run through the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate what would have been the 80th birthday of forgotten catcher Ed Herrmann, Peter will break down his Sequence of the Week, and Michael will recall some niche Yankee killers in recent memory.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Space City Home Network

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Toledo Mud Hens 4, St. Paul Saints 2 (box)

The Hens built an early lead and held on in a contest that featured a lot of traffic on the bases, but not a whole lot of run scoring.

The Hens missed an opportunity in the second, but in the third they opened the scoring in this one. John Peck drew a walk with one out and stole second. Trei Crus doubled him in and Max Anderson launched a two-run homer to center field for a 3-0 lead. That shot was Anderson’s 14th of the season to go with his .894 OPS and improved plate discipline. Hopefully we’ll see him up in September.

Austin Gomber got the start, and he was pretty solid, allowing just a run in the fourth before leaving the game in the fifth. Enmanuel de Jesus gave up a solo shot to Walker Jenkins in the sixth, But Brant Hurter, Ty Madden, and Luke Taggart locked it down the rest of the way, with Taggart earning his first Triple-A save.

They got a little help in the eighth, when Bennett Lee was hit by a pitch and Cal Stevenson, pinch-hitting for Peck, singled. Cruz stepped to the dish for another RBI double to make it 4-2 where it ended.

Anderson: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Cruz: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, K

Gomber: 4.1 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s an 8:07 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the series tied up.

Altoona Curve 6, Erie SeaWolves 1 (box)

The bats were quiet in this one, while Lucas Elissalt struggled through a long first inning and was lifted early for pitch count reasons as Altoona cruised to victory.

Elissalt got the first out of the game, but needed 15 pitches for the next two hitters, surrendering a walk and a single. A pair of singles followed to score a run, and then Elissalt punched the next hitters and got a pop-up to end the inning. Unfortunately he was over 30 pitches and the Tigers have a strict policy of shutting down a starter after an inning that long.

Yoniel Curet took over and he was rocked for three runs in the second and one in the third. Meanwhile, veteran lefty Nick Dombkowski was cooking through the SeaWolves lineup with six perfect innings and six strikeouts. He finally left the game in the seventh, and Woody Hadeen and Zyhir Hope singled with one out before Thayron Liranzo ground into an inning ending double play.

In the eighth, E.J. Exposito led off with a double, and a pair of ground outs were enough to score him, but that’s all the SeaWolves could manage.

Exposito: 1-3, R, 2B

Hope: 1-4, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Altoona on Thursday with the SeaWolves down 2-0 in the series.

Peoria Chiefs 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (box)

Ben Jacobs was brilliant once again, but the bullpen blew a slim lead in the eighth to lose on Wednesday.

The lefty’s rapid rise toward the top of the Tigers’ farm system didn’t miss a beat in this one, as Jacobs pounded the zone for five innings of scoreless ball. He allowed just two hits and a walk, while punching out seven hitters on the night. He threw 47 of 66 pitches for strikes, and with the ‘Caps fighting for a playoff spot, they should’ve let him keep going.

The ‘Caps opened the scoring in the third. Stephen Hrustich drew a leadoff walk, and Carson Rucker and Jackson Strong drew one-out walks to load the bases. A passed ball scored a run, and then Bryce Rainer was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Beau Ankeney and Edian Espinal struck out to end the threat and that would come back to haunt them.

Lefty Juanmi Vasquez allowed the Chiefs to tie it up in the sixth. Carson Rucker untied it with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, Ryan Harvey gave up four runs, three earned, in the top of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead.

Espinal and Ricardo Hurtado singled with one out in the eighth, and Espinal scored on a wild pitch. Rucker cracked another solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, his third homer since his promotion, but that was as close as they’d get to a comeback.

With the loss, the Whitecaps are now a game behind Great Lakes in the East division. Also, longtime Whitecaps’ play-by-play man Dan Hasty announced on Wednesday that he’ll be leaving the position at season’s end. We’ll discuss this more as the season comes to an end, but for now we wish Dan well in all his future endeavours. He’s been the voice of the Whitecaps for 12 years now.

Rucker: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR, BB, K

Espinal: 2-4, R, K

Rainer: 1-4, 2 K, HBP

Jacobs: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start in Comstock Park on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Clearwater Threshers (suspended)

Cameron Flukey, the Tigers first round pick back in July, was overpowering in this one before rain suspended play in the fourth inning. They’ll look to finish it at 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday before playing their normally scheduled game.

Flukey averaged 95.5 mph and a whopping 20 inches of IVB in this one. He got five whiffs on nine swing on the heater, and got a whiff with both curveball and cutter as well. He threw 26 of 44 pitches for strikes, allowing a hit and a walk, but no runs, and striking out four. Flukey hasn’t allowed a run through three short pro appearances.

The Flying Tigers scored three in the first when Jude Warwick singled and Jordan Yost doubled to lead off the inning. Jesus Pinto struck out, but Zach MacDonald walked to load the bases. Cris Rodriguez smoked a two-run double, and MacDonald scored on an Anibal Salas sacrifice fly.

Paul Wilson handled the fourth inning, but his outing, as the Tigers look to finally stretch him out after a pair of injury plagued seasons, was interrupted by the standard August rains in Florida.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a handful of young pitchers with a lot of potential, and Khristian Curtis is one of them. The 24-year-old has only pitched in two games so far but both outings were very impressive.

His first outing was on July 18 against the Cleveland Guardians, where he threw for five innings. The right-handed pitcher allowed just two hits and struck out four batters allowing no runs. 

His second outing was on August 23 against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched three innings, allowed no runs, struck out a batter and allowed only one walk. To have a scoreless game against the defending champion and one of the best teams in the league like the Dodgers is really impressive. 

Even though Curtis has only thrown eight innings, he did so against two playoff-caliber teams and didn’t allow a single run. That’s a really promising sign for someone that could easily be a part of starting rotation in the future. 

Curtis was just optioned back down to Triple A Indianapolis but is expected to be called back up when the rosters expand in September. Curtis started 12 games for Double-A Altoona before earning his Triple-A promotion on June 9 and has pitched in nine games, making five starts.

Even though Curtis was called back down I still think the righty can see some more action before the season is over. To throw eight scoreless innings as a young inexperienced 24-year-old is impressive, and I think he could be a nice piece to have especially for the start of the 2027 season. 

The young pitcher was ranked as the 21st prospect in the MLB pipeline before getting called up. Curtis was selected by Pittsburgh in the 12th round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State (Tempe) University. 

MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The Yankees will be without one of their most trust bullpen arms for at least a little while, as Fernando Cruz was placed on the 15-day IL with right elbow discomfort. That was part of a series of pregame moves yesterday that saw veteran arm Michael Fulmer sign a big-league deal, reliever Bradley Hanner demoted, Elmer Rodríguez promoted for the spot start, and Kervin Castro open up a spot on the 40-man roster by going to the 60-day IL.

The news got worse in the postgame, though. Like Castro, Cruz is now staring down the possibility of season-ending elbow surgery. Per manager Aaron Boone, imaging showed that he had a partially torn UCL. He’ll be getting a second opinion, but there’s a very real chance that he winds up getting Tommy John or something along those lines, which would also all but doom his 2027 as well. Cruz will already be turning 37 in March, so while he’s under team control through 2028, he may have already thrown his last pitch in pinstripes. It’s a shame, as Cruz had a sterling 2.20 ERA through mid-July, but the wear and tear of heavy use in the first half (due in part to the Yankees’ offense struggling to break close games open) seemed to get to him. We wish him well.

New York Post | Joel Sherman ($): Heading into a big four-game set with the Red Sox this weekend, the Yankees face a near-unique problem: Boston is looking to start three lefties against them, plus another portsider in an opener role. It would be just the second time in my lifetime that New York faces four consecutive southpaw. If it feels like this happens more than usual, you’re right, as the team has seen the third-most PA against left-handed pitching in baseball this year, and critically since June 1st they’ve managed just an 87 wRC+ against ‘em. Boston is setting the table for the Yankees to be at a distinct disadvantage in this series, and while Cody Bellinger is back and hits lefties well, he can’t do it on his own.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Gerrit Cole’s Hall of Fame case was hurt somewhat by his time recovering from Tommy John surgery, as that year and a half cut away shots at many of the milestone numbers we see at necessary for enshrinement. The shortened COVID-19 season in 2020 did the same, especially considering what a peak Cole was coming off of after 2019. Still, while The Baseball Culture does need to adjust expectations for what a Hall of Fame pitcher looks like, he’s done everything he can to continue to build his case for Cooperstown in 2026, and remains a likely candidate depending on how he declines from his Cy Young form.

MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: It’s never too early to think about free agency, specifically the high end of a very soft class this year. Lefty Tarik Skubal is atop anyone’s list of the best available, but the rest doesn’t inspire very much. Randy Arozarena is probably the best position player of the crop, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. having lost a tonne of potential money with his performance this year.

Yahoo Sports | Teddy Ricketson: We close with a bit of a fun one, as Yankees Assistant Director of Baseball Operations Mike Pinsky will try to outwit, outplay and outlast the competition on the 51st season of Survivor this fall. Just don’t get voted out first, Mike.

The Yankees moved Fernando Cruz to the 15-day injured list Wednesday before even scanning his elbow, concerned enough that they felt he would require a break regardless of the MRI exam results.

The results represented a worst fear.

Cruz has a partial tear of his UCL, manager Aaron Boone said, and will seek further opinions.

But Tommy John surgery is on the table, which typically follows such a diagnosis.

The 35-year-old Cruz is out of the picture for 2026 and potentially for all of 2027, too, a blow to the team and a blow to a reliever who has both found himself and a home in The Bronx.

Something had clearly been wrong with Cruz, who was often dominant in his first year in pinstripes (striking out 72 in 48 innings) and was enjoying an even better follow-up season before hitting a wall in mid-July. After letting up the two-run home run to Jeremy Peña on Tuesday, he had given up nine earned runs in his previous 13 ²/₃ innings.

After the loss, Cruz met with trainer Tim Lentych at his locker and walked out with Lentych after talking with media. At the time, Cruz denied that there was any physical issue.

This offseason Cruz will enter his second season of arbitration and is under team control through 2028. If he successfully returns in 2028, the righty would be playing at 38.

Ryan McMahon is eligible to be activated from the IL on Sunday and could be ready then, but it is possible the Yankees wait until Tuesday, when the club can add a position player and pitcher.

“We might take it a couple extra days just with September 1st being around the corner,” Boone said before the Yankees’ 9-3 win over the Astros at the Stadium. “He might even play in a couple of rehab games prior to that. “But he’s trending in a good way.”

McMahon ran in the outfield before the game and has been taking ground balls at third.

Even on the day the Yankees placed him on the IL, McMahon had taken swings indoors with a Grade 2 thumb sprain.

An excellent defender, McMahon had started the season as an offensive liability but improved, posting a .731 OPS with seven home runs in his previous 61 games before the injury.

Without McMahon, José Caballero, who went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in the Yankees’ win on Wednesday, has received the bulk of work at third base and is just 2-for-21 in six games in the span.

Max Fried remains an option for one end of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox, which would mean he would have been sidelined for the minimum 15 days.

Fried is scheduled to throw a side session Thursday, and the Yankees will wait to see how he handles that before making a decision.

Aaron Judge, who hit Tuesday and has begun ramping up his baseball activity, threw in the outfield before the game.

Among the many roster moves the Yankees made on a day Cruz was placed on the IL and Elmer Rodríguez was activated, the club optioned Bradley Hanner, who allowed three runs in his first four major league innings.

Before the game, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at 80.

I have a confession to make. This whole season, I have been waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop for Eduardo Rodriguez. I had a difficult time believing the same pitcher who had posted consecutive seasons with ERAs north of five could somehow transform himself into a legitimate Cy Young candidate. There were some legitimate reasons for that doubt too between his whiff percentage, strikeout rate, and chase rate all leave something to be desired – to say nothing of expected stats that paint an even worse picture. But at some point, you have to throw out all the other pieces of evidence and recognize that however he’s doing it, Rodriguez is putting together one of the best pitching seasons in franchise history. And at a time in the season where every win is crucial, he delivered once more with an absolute gem against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. In seven innings of scoreless work, Rodriguez racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just five baserunners all game, inducing a whopping 18 swings and misses along the way.

It was a fairly dominant performance for the veteran lefty, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In the visiting half of the sixth, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was mostly contained in the series, stroked a leadoff double down the line and then moved over to third on Seiya Suzuki’s groundout. After a shallow flyout from Alex Bregman wasn’t deep enough for PCA to score, he decided to take matters into his own hands and bluffed a straight steal of home by sprinting halfway down the third base line. That move unsettled Rodriguez enough for him to shuffle off the pitching rubber before delivering to James McCann behind the plate. The entire Cubs dugout clamored for a balk call, but after a quick umpire consultation, it was declared not a balk – much to PCA’s chagrin as he charged directly at the third base umpire and had to be held back by his coaches. After a few replays of the incident, I do think (as does Bob Brenly) that it probably was a balk. E-Rod clearly takes his left foot off the rubber before coming home with the ball, which would be very deceiving to a baserunner and which has always been the intent behind the balk rule. The play also highlighted the fact that every play should be reviewable as other angles show enough that the Cubs at least had an argument and when the margin is so thin, the call should be correct. It’s worth watching the whole sequence for yourself to see where you fall on the decision:

For what it’s worth, Chicago starter Matthew Boyd nearly matched Rodriguez zero for zero as the veteran journeyman allowed the same number of baserunners (five) in six innings of work and continued the excellent starting pitching the Cubs had in the series. His only mistake was a hanging changeup that Jordan Lawlar just lifted over the right field fence for the only run allowed by a Cubs starting pitcher. The D-Backs added an insurance run in the eighth when consecutive leadoff singles from McCann and Lawlar put the former at third with less than two outs for Ryan Waldschmidt who proceeded to drive a ball deep enough for McCann to lumber his way in to score. As a result, the team had the unique privilege of failing to record a single at bat with a runner in scoring position while still securing the win.

We’re now fully into the section of the season where every single victory is desperately needed. This team is all too familiar with the experience of missing the playoffs by a single game and this season looks like it will again be decided by a small margin. Victories like this could easily be a huge difference when the end of the season arrives.

Mark Vientos continued his rehab stint with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday and had his best game with the club.

The young Mets slugger went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. He also hit a home run against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. 

Vientos' first hit came in the first, smashing a single to score Emilien Pitre from second and give Syracuse an early 1-0 lead. His longball came in the fifth with the bases empty. He smashed a changeup in the middle of the plate 409 feet to give Syracuse a 6-1 lead at the time.

It was a great offensive day for Vientos, who started at DH, and he needed it. He was hitless over his first three minor league games in his current rehab assignment and Mets interim manager Andy Green had some pointed things to say about the slugger and his future role on the team. 

"I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs," Green said Wednesday. "Still think there’s a very bright future for him out there if he wants to grab a hold of it. That’s on him."

An RBI single for Mark Vientos on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/OxyvA3b2wy

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 26, 2026

Aside from Vientos, the rest of the Syracuse Mets lineup exploded offensively. 

Up and down the lineup, Syracuse received contributions from prospects, former big leaguers and more. The team hit four home runs, one from Vientos, one from catcher Shawn Ross and two from Billy Amick.

Amick, acquired from the Twins in the A.J. Minter deal at the deadline, has shown incredible power in Triple-A. His two blasts Wednesday give him five in seven games since he was promoted. He finished 3-for-5, but his average still sits at .192, so there's still development to be had. 

Other contributions from the lineup include Pitre going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Ronny Mauricio driving in a run with his two hits, and MJ Melendez driving in a run in Syracuse's 11-1 rout. 

Billy Amick - acquired from the Twins in the A.J. Minter deal - hit two home runs for Triple-A Syracuse tonight pic.twitter.com/srrjUFqB3j

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 27, 2026

Clippers 3, Indians 4

It’s been a tough season for Yorman Gomez, and that continued today. He allowed four earned runs on six hits including three home runs. His ERA on the season is up to 7.19. Steven Perez, Connor Brogdon, and Carlos Hernandez combined for 4.2 scoreless innings of relief.

It wasn’t a great day for the offense but Daniel Schneemann went 2-4 with a HR. Kyle Manzardo went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI double, and Kody Huff went 1-4 with an RBI double.

RubberDucks 7, Patriots 5

Jake Fox and Bennett Thompson were the story of this game. Jake Fox went 3-3 with three RBIs and a triple. He is now hitting .311 with an .878 OPS on the season. Bennett Thompson went 3-4 with an RBI double.

Ryan Degges had a solid outing today. He allowed two earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched while striking out three and walking two. His ERA for the RubberDucks is now at 2.41.

Captains 8, Kernels 7

The showtime Captains were at it again today. Welbyn Francisca went 2-5 with a HR and three RBIs today, he continues to impress a ton as a 20 year old in High-A. He is now hitting .289 with a .937 OPS on the season. We also saw multi hit games from Tommy Hawke, Anthony Martinez, and Jose Pirela. Cannon Peebles went 1-4 with a walk and a HR of his own.

Howlers 0, Cannon Ballers 5

It was a rough game all around for the Howlers as they were shut out on just four hits with one walk to six strikeouts. Alejandro Garza and Deiten Lachance both went 1-4.

Ryan Desanto had a solid outing where he allowed just two runs in 5 innings with 5 strikeouts. His ERA is down to 4.37 on the season.

Didier Fuentes was a main character in Wednesday night’s epic win over the Dodgers for Atlanta. He worked two scoreless innings, escaping two bases-loaded jams (one of his own creation). This highlighted how good he has been this season, producing 1.8 fWAR, the 10th most of any reliever in baseball. His 2.37 FIP and 3.10 xFIP illustrate how dominant he has been out of the pen as the youngest pitcher in baseball. Perhaps the highlight of his night was striking out Max Muncy to end the eighth inning and escape a bases-loaded jam. This is particularly interesting since he used his splitter to put Muncy away, which is his third pitch. Didier is still incredibly young and already very good, but his ability to develop and use a third pitch like his splitter will play a major factor in when or if he gets a chance to try his hand at being a starting pitcher again or if the Braves are content for him to be a dominant reliever for a long time.

Braves News

The Braves claimed RHP Ricky Vanasco off waivers as intriguing org depth, sending him to AAA.

Ha-Seong Kim walked the Dodgers off in a tremendous Wednesday night matchup.

MLB News

The Dodgers will place Roki Sasaki on the IL with a blister on his pitching hand.

Yankees’ star reliever Fernando Cruz will hit the IL with a partially torn UCL of severity to be determined.

The Astros are expecting Carlos Correa to return to the field sometime in September, after previously expecting his season to be over.