The New York Yankees witnessed a sudden change of tide over the past weekend. They lost record series win streak after losing to Toronto Blue Jays at home. Further to add to the misery, the Bombers have lost the second consecutive series after losing the second game to Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. The offense once again let the team down as they went down 2-6 at the end of nine innings.
It’s safe to say that the Yankees have lost the plot. The offense has already been an issue since the start of the season. However, in the past few games, the pitchers have been struggling on the mound as well. Yesterday, Nestor Cortes and Ron Marinaccio gave away six runs in total. Before this, Jhony Brito and Clarke Schmidt, too, recorded terrible outings. Hence, the Yankees felt the desperate need for a fresh arm on the roster.
Yankees Call Up Reliever Nick Ramirez From Minors
Nick Ramirez, a left-handed pitcher, signed with the New York Yankees in a minor league contract this off-season. He commenced his 2023 campaign in the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 10.1 innings pitched so far, the southpaw has allowed two runs, five hits, and two walks while striking out seven hitters. Certainly, the stats from the small sample size prove to be impressive enough to catch the attention of the Bombers staff. Ahead of yesterday’s game, the New York-based team announced two roster moves.
One of them included calling up Nick Ramirez from the Triple-A, who replaced Colten Brewer in the 40-man roster of the Yankees. The team hopes that Ramirez can help provide some stability to a bullpen that has been struggling of late. With injuries to key pitchers like Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino, the team has been forced to rely on a group of young and inexperienced pitchers to get through games. Moreover, with the team playing almost every day and the bullpen being stretched thin, having a fresh arm like Ramirez’s could be the difference between a win and a loss. Skipper Aaron Boone says the team had eyes on Ramirez since spring and were waiting for the right opportunity to call him up to the majors.
Greg Weissert Demoted To Minor League
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees have optioned pitcher Greg Weissert back to the minor league with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Greg was called up a few weeks ago to back up Jhony Brito after the latter’s horrible outing. However, the pitcher did too little to impress on the mound. Hence, the Bombers had to chop him off to make space for Nick Ramirez.
On the other hand, the rotation’s crucial missing piece Carlos Rodon is showing some progress. The left-hander played catch on Sunday and is scheduled to hit a bullpen session on Monday. His stiff back is taking longer to heal than previously anticipated. Hence, the fans would have to wait a little longer to see Rodon on the mound donning the pinstripes.