The Yankees are building Marcus Stroman back up as a starter despite questions about his role in the rotation.
Manager Aaron Boone confirmed the team’s plans for Stroman, who was throwing off a mound today as he works his way back from injury. The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported that Stroman “could begin a rehab assignment soon.”
“Aaron Boone said the Yankees are building Marcus Stroman up as a starter. Could begin a rehab assignment soon.”
It’s been a rough stretch for the Yankees rotation. They’re still without Gerrit Cole following Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil due to a lat strain. Stroman himself landed on the injured list after just three starts this season.
Those three outings didn’t go well – Stroman posted an 11.57 ERA before getting hurt. That continued his struggles from last year when he had a 4.31 ERA over 30 games and didn’t pitch in the postseason despite signing a two-year, $37 million deal.
The poor performance led to trade rumors throughout the offseason. Now the Yankees find themselves in an interesting spot.
Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Ryan Yarbrough have been carrying the rotation load. Yarbrough’s been particularly effective since moving into the starting role and seems locked in moving forward. But with Gil still out, there’s an opening.
Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt haven’t seized their opportunities, which might explain why the Yankees are giving Stroman another shot. It could also be about boosting his trade value for teams looking for starting pitching depth.
When everyone’s healthy, the rotation picture gets crowded. Fried, Gil, Yarbrough and Rodón seem like the core four, leaving Stroman fighting for his spot.
This feels like a last chance for the veteran right-hander with the Yankees. He showed All-Star form as recently as 2023 with the Cubs, so the talent’s there. The rehab assignment will give both sides a better idea of where things stand and whether Stroman can contribute to what the Yankees hope will be another playoff push.
