Yankees Monday Mailbag 8/10: Carlos Rodón's Return, George Lombard Jr.'s Spot in the Lineup, and Bullpen Queries

The New York Yankees' bullpen configuration once the rotation is healthy is one of the questions that headline this week's mailbag.

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón (55) is still on the IL. But the hope is that he will return sooner rather than later. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees are 5.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the division, and the Boston Red Sox aren't far behind them. There was an opportunity for Boston to overtake them over the weekend, but the Yankees did their job against the Braves, nearly sweeping them.

As Yogi Berra once said, it's getting late early, and if they plan on making any noise in the division, they'll need to play crisp, clean baseball while also figuring out a way to score runs. It feels like a tall task, and, considering their injuries, they could just be relegated to another Wild Card series. But with guys coming back, the team on the field now isn't what it'll look like by the time October rolls around. At least, that's the big hope.

There are a few things the Yankees can do to turn this ship around. And if you're curious about what those things are, reach out to Joseph Randazzo on X or Instagram at @YankeeLibrarian. This week's questions are about what's going on with the Yankees right now!

A call to the bullpen

When Carlos Rodón returns, who goes to the bullpen? Will Warren or Ryan Weathers?

@steverockydavis on Instagram

Weathers is probably the better starter of the two, but it just feels like his stuff plays better for the bullpen. His fastball gets hit around, but he can still dial it up to the high 90s if he wants. Weathers also has better breaking stuff. He can pummel batters with an array of changeups, heaters, and sweepers.

That changeup could be especially deadly coming out of the bullpen, as batters are hitting .202 with a .315 slugging.

The returning stars

Between Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, whose return will have the biggest impact?

@theezratakeshita

Stanton hasn't played much all year, while Bellinger has had a full season's worth of outfield repetitions on defense and at the plate, despite this momentary stint on the IL. Based on that, the answer looks like it could be Bellinger. As who knows what Stanton looks like by the time he is back.

Bellinger is also the better defensive outfielder. Imagine him in left field instead of Heliot Ramos. The Yankees should probably move Trent Grisham to right field, since it's clear he doesn't have the speed or can clear the type of ground he once did, and being there could protect him a bit. Then Jones can play center field, which is his natural position.

The first to go when the Yankees are healthy

Who gets demoted/released when everyone is healthy?

@mattman1199

The first one should be Ryan Yarbrough. Back when it seemed like the rotation would be healthy in late spring and Max Fried was on the mend, the plan came across as designating either him or Paul Blackburn for assignment.

New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Yarbrough could be the odd man out on the pitching staff when the team gets back to full strength. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At this point, they're definitely not casting Blackburn off. He has made himself important to the Yankees as a setup man. Yarbrough, on the other hand, has regressed. Since May, he has allowed 17 runs in 24.1 innings. 10 of those were earned, but the issue is Yarbrough hasn't been very good at keeping inherited runners on base.

As mentioned in an earlier question, the answer to the bullpen could just be Ryan Weathers once the rotation is healthy.

The top of the order

Need to leadoff George Lombard Jr. and move down Trent Grisham. What do you think?

@ehc___04

If, in the big leagues, Lombard can have a 21.9% strikeout rate and 17.3% walk rate, as he did in Triple-A, then he should totally be the leadoff hitter. You see teams call guys up and have them hit leadoff all the time. The big fear is the rookie getting exposed, but since the Yankees are struggling on offense, having Lombard leadoff might be a necessity.

As for Grisham, despite the home run against the Braves on Sunday, he has been struggling a bunch. The ninth hole isn't a bad spot until he gets it together. He has a 12.3% walk rate, and he could serve as another leadoff hitter there once the game hits the later innings. When Grisham is on, he's the best suited for the top of the order, though. He's a veteran who hardly strikes out and walks a lot.

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