The Yankees announced this morning that the club has recalled left-hander Matt Krook to the big league club following the decision last night to option right-hander Randy Vasquez to Triple-A.
Krook, 28, was converted to relief ahead of the 2023 campaign after being selected to the Yankees’ 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft during the offseason. A fourth-round pick by the Giants in the 2016 draft, Krook spent time in the Giants and Rays organizations before joining the Yankees in 2021. Prior to 2023, the lefty prospect had primarily been used as a starter, with a 3.57 ERA in 244 2/3 innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels during his time in the Yankees organization. Despite those solid numbers, Krook was moved to the bullpen thanks to command issues; the lefty has never had a walk rate below 10% in a full season throughout his entire professional career.
So far, the move to the pen has proved to be a revelation for Krook. He’s posted a microscopic 1.04 ERA with a 1.79 FIP in 17 1/3 innings at Triple-A across twelve appearances this season. While his walk rate is still a concerning 16.9%, he’s striking out a whopping 47.9% of batters faced, mitigating the issue to an extent. Krook has clearly shown enough that the Yankees believe him to be ready for a debut in the big leagues, where he will provide the club with a quality left-handed option alongside Wandy Peralta.
Headed back to Triple-A to make room for Krook on the roster is Vasquez, who started yesterday’s game for the Yankees in a major league debut of his own. The 24-year-old righty held his own against a tough Padres lineup, allowing two runs on four hits (one home run) and three walks while striking out six in 4 2/3 innings of work. Vasquez figures to act as a depth starter for the Yankees in Triple-A going forward, a valuable role given the numerous injury woes the Yankees has suffered in the rotation so far in 2023.
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