Ryan Yarbrough: Everything You Need to Know About Dodgers Newest Pitcher
Tuesday the Dodgers acquired left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the Kansas City Royals. While he isn’t a splashy big name that Dodger fans dreamed their favorite team would acquire at the trade deadline, he should help their pitching staff be respectable.
Yarbrough, 31, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round during the 2014 draft. In January 2017, the Mariners traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays.
He didn’t pitch after August 29, 2020, because of a groin injury. While he hurled a complete game against the New York Yankees in June 2021, the Rays released him in November 2022.
On December 13, 2022, Yarbrough signed a one-year deal with the Royals. This May, Yarbrough was hit in the head by a 106-mile-per-hour line drive and suffered many non-displaced fractures around his right eye. He returned to the mound on July 9th.
Yarbrough throws an 87-mile-per-hour four seam fastball, slider, cutter, and a changeup. Since his pitches are slower than hitting speed, major leaguers can’t hit them well. He has a slight side arm delivery, making him harder to hit.
This year, Yarbrough has appeared in 14 games and started 7 of them. He has a 4.24 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 9 walks. In his last start against the Minnesota Twins, he hurled 7 innings and allowed only a solo home run.
Yarbrough should be able to eat innings, something that the Dodgers desperately need.
