Yankees Share Major Update on Hard-Throwing Prospect Carlos Lagrange

He's been on the injured list since early July

Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange (84) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the fifth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees have provided significant news on the status of right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange.

Lagrange, New York's No. 4 prospect on MLB Pipeline, could be activated from the Triple-A injured list soon, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Friday. While it's unclear exactly when the 23-year-old might be back on the mound for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he's expected to throw a live batting practice session before returning to game action, according to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner. When asked if the 6-foot-7 righty is viewed as unlikely to play a role for the Yankees down the stretch, Boone shrugged and said, "I don't assume anything, you never know."

Lagrange has been sidelined since early July when he landed on the injured list with a right shoulder capsular sprain. That came after the hard-throwing prospect shifted to the bullpen in June so he could be an option to join the Yankees pitching staff as a reliever in 2026. While that plan appeared to go out the window following his injury, this latest development leaves the door open for the right-hander to make his MLB debut this year.

Could Carlos Lagrange still join the Yankees' bullpen in 2026?

Mar 23, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange (84) throws against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Realistically, Lagrange is running out of time to ramp back up to be a late-season option for the Yankees' bullpen. The 23-year-old will more likely make a couple of relief appearances for the RailRiders before their regular season ends on Sept. 20, and then turn his attention toward preparing for 2027.

This year, Lagrange posted a 4.55 ERA in 18 Triple-A games, 11 of which were starts. The flamethrowing righty racked up 83 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings. He had a 4.41 ERA as a starter and a 5.02 ERA as a reliever. But five of the eight earned runs the young hurler allowed in relief came in his final outing before landing on the injured list.

Many Yankees fans would undoubtedly be excited to see Lagrange's triple-digit fastball in the Bronx this season. While that doesn't seem increasingly likely as things stand, it'll be worth monitoring how the talented prospect performs in his highly anticipated return from the injured list.