Perhaps the Yankees' biggest September call-up of them all is coming in the form of relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough's activation off the injured list. The Bronx Bombers have the veteran lefty back in their ranks, making the move during their off-day on Monday ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Astros down in Houston. The 33-year-old has been down since mid-June after suffering an oblique strain.
Jayson Stark was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, and Stark outlined the BBWAA's thought process in a piece for The Athletic. Simply put, "relief pitching now dominates this sport - how it's played, how it's managed, who sprays champagne every fall - in a way it never has before," Stark writes, and thus relievers deserve their own dedicated award to reflect their specific role.
I'm just sitting in the room in [Class AA] Harrisburg with my wife, and, like, I don't know what's going on.... I feel like I do as much as I possibly can to try to stay healthy and be on the field.