Carlos Lagrange Landing on IL Forces Yankees to Pivot With Risky Trade

The New York Yankees are in a position where they could be without their top pitching prospect this summer.

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange (84) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning during spring training at Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The hits keep coming for the New York Yankees, and this time it comes from one of their top prospects going down. According to a report from Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the young arm the organization was counting on to join their bullpen, Carlos Lagrange, has been sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Lagrange is scheduled for an MRI, and the Yankees are hoping it's minor and that he can get back on his big-league trajectory at some point. It's hard to say if this affected him, but in Lagrange's most recent appearance last weekend, he allowed five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one and walked two.

They need to convert him to the bullpen

— Vince (@vincepaz1230) May 23, 2026

The idea of Lagrange joining the Yankees bullpen at some point had been kicked around during February bullpen sessions, where his 103 mph fastballs, which he was blowing by the likes of Aaron Judge, were the talk of camp. With a full rotation, his path to the big leagues was clear, and if the injury is serious, the Yankees will likely have to pivot.

It does feel like the plan was to have both him and Ryan Weathers in the bullpen. It was a no-brainer to move the big strikeout arms there, since there's no room for them to start with the big club, and it's also a way to conserve their prospect capital for other areas of need at the deadline. That could be changing.

A hard-throwing replacement

If this Lagrange injury is the worst-case scenario, the one thing that the Yankees will have to do is spend a little more on the trade front. The one place they could look to is the Los Angeles Angels, who do have a trove of pitching talent. One of their lesser-known arms, Ryan Zeferjahn, could be an intriguing add.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn (56) delivers a pitch in the eighth inning between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball in Cincinnati on Saturday, April 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The 28-year-old has a 4.12 ERA in 39.1 IP and has prolific strikeout stuff. Zeferjahn averages 97 mph on his fastball and owns a 92nd percentile 32.8% whiff rate and 95th percentile 31.2% strikeout rate.

On top of that, Zeferjahn mitigates hard contact. He has an average exit velocity of 88.8 mph, a 4.9% barrel rate, and a 34.9% hard-hit rate. The issue, though, is his command.

It's one of the worst in the league. Zeferjahn has a 1st percentile 16.8% walk rate.

One of the key components to trading for Zeferjahn is his years of control. He wouldn't be a free agent until the 2031 season, and the Yankees could tinker with him as they please.