Yankees Announce Decision on Intriguing Two-Way Player

The New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, activated 24-year-old two-way player Edinson Duran from the development list on Friday, restoring him to the active roster as the International League season winds down, via the MiLB transaction log.

Duran, a right-handed hitting and throwing catcher who also pitches, has spent 2026 as organizational depth behind the plate — and on the mound.

The 5-foot-6, 180-pound backstop has been activated from and returned to the development list multiple times this year, a common shuttle for extra catchers when the RailRiders need a third option or when roster spots tighten around injuries and big-league transactions.

His latest return came after a two-day stint off the active roster.

The move does not signal an imminent promotion to the Bronx. Duran has appeared in just six Triple-A games this season, going 1-for-5 with a double, a walk and a .733 OPS.

Last year, he played seven games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hit .308 in a similarly small sample. Across his minor-league career, which began after he signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in May 2021, he owns a .278/.370/.466 line with 11 home runs and 68 RBI in 378 at-bats.

He was named DSL Player of the Week in August 2022 after a strong stretch in the Dominican Summer League.

Duran’s value to the organization has been more about versatility and availability than everyday production.

He has also made a handful of pitching appearances at Triple-A this season, a reminder of the two-way experiments clubs sometimes run with extra catchers. At 24, he remains Rule 5 eligible and is not on the 40-man roster.

The RailRiders’ catching group has been fluid all year, with major-league options and veteran depth cycling through PNC Field. Activating Duran gives manager Shelley Duncan another body who knows the staff and can catch bullpen sessions or fill in if another catcher is needed elsewhere in the system.

With the minor-league regular season nearly over, the assignment is also about getting him extra work before the instructional period and winter ball decisions.

For Yankees fans tracking the farm, this is a quiet organizational move rather than a prospect surge. Duran has never been a high-ranking name in the system.

His path has been that of a developmental catcher who can handle both sides of the ball in a pinch. Whether he sees meaningful September innings in Scranton will depend on how the RailRiders manage the final days of the schedule and any late-season 40-man or injury moves from New York.

The activation keeps Duran available as the affiliate closes its 2026 campaign and the parent club evaluates catching depth heading into the offseason.