The Yankees officially optioned Elmer Rodríguez to Triple-A after his start in last night’s game against the Rangers, with Carlos Rodón set to rejoin the rotation in the next week. Since Rodón won’t need to be activated until his start, the Yankees promoted Yerry de Los Santos in the interim.
de Los Santos gives the Yankees an extra arm in the bullpen during this period in which they’ll carry four starters. It’ll be his second trip on the Scranton shuttle this year, having appeared in one game in mid-April,
allowing one run in two innings. Though he’s been given the role of Triple-A depth this year, De Los Santos impressed with the big club in 2025, posting a 3.28 ERA in 35.2 innings. He might be ticketed for a short stay this time around, but he should have more chances throughout the year to prove himself at the highest level.
Rodríguez will return to Scranton after an uneven couple of outings in the majors. The 22-year-old right-hander flashed plenty of promise, showcasing a true five-pitch mix and sitting 95-96 mph on his fastballs. However, he also uncharacteristically struggled to find the zone, walking eight batters in 8.2 innings, forcing himself to work constantly with traffic on the base paths. It’s not quite the debut he was looking for, but it’s telling he was the Yankees’ first call when they needed a spot starter. Rodríguez clearly has a lot of promise, and this may not be the last we see of him this year.
