Yankees option pitcher after getting crushed by Reds

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, losing by a final score of 10-2. It was a difficult game to say the least for the Yankees. After the contest, manager Aaron Boone said relief pitcher Jake Bird was optioned, via Gary Phillips. Meanwhile, Elmer Rodriguez will start Sunday’s game.

Bird, 30, has pitched to an underwhelming 5.09 ERA across 28 outings this season with the Yankees. The veteran reliever will now have an opportunity to attempt to bounce back at the minor league level. Perhaps that will help him get back on track. He could end up receiving another MLB opportunity later this season.

It has been two completely different games for the Yankees against the Reds. On Friday, starting pitcher Cam Schlittler led the way as New York shut out Cincinnati’s lineup. Schlittler has been incredible this season. However, the Yankees’ pitching clearly did not get the job done on Saturday.

Despite the defeat on Saturday, the Yankees have still performed well overall. The ball club is in first place in the American League East standings with a 46-29 record. They currently hold a 2.5 game lead over the second place Tampa Bay Rays.

Nevertheless, New York is obviously hoping to move past Saturday afternoon’s game as soon as possible. The Yankees will host the Reds once again on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM EST at Yankee Stadium, as New York looks to earn a series victory. Following Sunday’s game, the Yankees will travel to Detroit for a three-game series against the Tigers.