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Yankees’ depth starter is recovering slower than expected

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media | By Ryan Garcia | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 7:21 PM ET

Amid the various updates provided from manager Aaron Boone, the Yankees had some more negative news come out regarding their rotation depth.

With Cam Schlittler skipping a start due to bicep soreness (MRI came back clean), the Yankees have also revealed that Ryan Yarbrough has been taking longer than expected to get back on a mound.

The left-hander has continued throwing, but his progression hasn’t gone the way that the team initially hoped when he was placed on the 15-day IL.

On June 22nd, the Yankees officially put him on the injured list with a low-grade strain on his right oblique, but nearly a month later, and he isn’t even on a rehab assignment.

Ryan Yarbrough Has Yet to Throw Off Mound, Yankees’ Injury Situation Gets Worse

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Pitching injuries have stacked up for the Yankees this summer, and they’ll need Ryan Yarbrough’s recovery to get back on track sooner rather than later.

With a 3.90 ERA across 55.1 innings, Yarbrough served a valuable role as both a reliever and a depth starter, taking over when the team designated Carlos Carrasco for assignment.

As a starting pitcher, Yarbrough has a 3.83 ERA and 13.7% K-BB%, and while he’s allowed a good chunk of home runs, he has served as a brilliant backend starter for cheap.

Given the uncertainty in their bullpen and rotation due to injuries, his return would be a massive help for this pitching staff.

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The Yankees’ bullpen has a -0.4 WAR since the start of June, and with Max Fried’s blister on top of Cam Schlittler’s bicep soreness, their rotation situation could get ugly too.

Brian Cashman mentioned that pitching, both in the rotation and bullpen, are massive priorities for the Bronx Bombers at this year’s trade deadline.

New York has shown interest in Mitch Keller and various relievers including Jhoan Duran and Carlos Estevez according to reports.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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