Pitching Injuries Could Force Yankees to Rethink Veteran Ace

Could Yankees Bring Back Ryan Yarbrough?

The New York Post's Joel Sherman believes that as the Yankees look for players who can fill innings at the beginning of the year, they may consider bringing Ryan Yarbrough back into the fold and place him in the rotation before eventually moving him to the bullpen.

"Yarbrough was on a strong run as a fill-in starter before incurring an oblique injury late in June and never worked his way back into a role when he returned in September," Sherman wrote. "The Yankees will begin the season with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon on the injured list, but with the hope that they return early in the season. The Yanks could look to plug in a starter to cover innings early who has the ability to flip to the pen if the Yankees rotation ever gets whole. Yarbrough is capable of filling that slot if the Yankees go that way."

Yarbrough's 2025 Season

Yarbrough signed a one-year deal with the Yankees this past March. The left-hander pitched to a 3.98 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings before being placed on the injured list with an oblique strain on June 22.

He wouldn't return to New York's major league roster until September 1 as a result. Yarbrough appeared in just three games during the final month of the season, allowing seven earned runs across 8 2/3 frames.

The 33-year-old was not included on the Yankees' roster throughout their playoff run, however, and ultimately finished the regular season with a 4.36 ERA while making eight starts and throwing 64 innings.

Yarbrough's Potential Value to 2026 Yankees

Though Yarbrough's 2025 campaign didn't end on a high note, he still could be of value to next year's iteration of the Yankees.

As a swing man with extensive experience both out of the rotation and the bullpen during his eight-year big-league career, Yarbrough's versatility would allow for him to fill several roles for New York in 2026, much like he did this past season.

He won't be expensive to retain if New York chooses to do so, and his familiarity with the club could make him an attractive option as a temporary rotation arm before likely making his way back to the bullpen once Rodón and Cole are good to go.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

• Will Yankees Lose Cody Bellinger to NL Contender?
• Yankees Chasing All-Star Reliever?
• Yankees Named Top Trade Partner for Four Players
• Yankees Top Prospect Replacing Anthony Volpe?
• Insiders Imagine Yankees, Tigers Tarik Skubal Trade