Could This Prolific Yankees Bullpen Arm Make Permanent Shift To Starting Rotation?

The New York Yankees starting rotation has faced adversity all year, but a potential fix might already be on the roster.

Apr 11, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have been plagued with starting pitching injuries all season. While they've been able to keep the ship afloat at 21-16, the holes in the rotation have reared their heads.

Gerrit Cole received Tommy John surgery on March 11, 2025, shutting him down for the whole year. This came just one year after Cole experience inflammation and edema in his elbow right before the 2024 season, pushing his debut to the summer - UCL was a serious conversation then, too.

Luis Gil was diagnosed with a right lat strain at the start of March, coming off winning the American League Rookie of the Year award. He was placed on the 60-day IL and is expected to make his season debut sometime in June, pending any setbacks.

Clarke Schmidt also faced a setback with a shoulder injury that put him on IL just days before the season. He made his 2025 debut against the Kansas City Royals on April 16 and has a 4.79 ERA on the year.

According to FanGraphs, the Yankees ranked middle of the pack in ERA at 12th, but are ranked 22nd in walks-per-nine and 16th in home runs-per-nine.

Is the New York Yankees Solution Already On the Roster?

While there's been some turbulence at the bottom of the rotation, a stabilizing force might already exist in the Yankees' bullpen.

Ryan Yarbrough has shuffled between starter and reliever his whole career, often finding himself in "long reliever" situations. That has not changed with New York with five of his nine appearances on the year going two full innings or longer.

In his most recent appearances against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 3, he was used as an opener in a bullpen game for the Yankees in a 3-2 loss. He recorded one earned run, two walks, and three strikeouts.

His previous appearance was against the Baltimore Orioles on April 28, where he took over for rookie Will Warren, who has had trouble with outing-length all season. Warren has three starts of five innings in seven starts. He had 3.1 innings against the Orioles, while Yarbrough had 3.2.

Warren is currently sitting at a 5.65 ERA and a disappointing 1.53 WHIP.

Yarbrough has been used for distance all year, while Warren has struggled with length. Should those trends continue, Yarbrough's experience and reps as a starter could lead to the two pitchers switching positions.