Yankees News: Leroux Up, Mitchell Down
By Wayne Cavadi
The New York Yankees revolving door that they call a pitching staff has made yet another move. Mark Feinsand, via his Twitter page, has reported that the Yankees have recalled starting pitcher/ relief pitcher Chris Leroux and have added him to the 25-man roster. In a corresponding move, the Yankees have optioned Bryan Mitchell.
Mitchell, the 23-year old righty who was drafted in the 16th round back in 2009, finally made his long awaited major league debut this past Sunday. He came in against the Cleveland Indians and looked sharp, tossing two scoreless innings while striking out two. It is a bit surprising that Mitchell is so quickly returning to the minors after a successful first outing, especially for Chris Leroux, however it is understandable. Mitchell struggled as a starter over his first few years in the minor league system until throwing it all together this season. I can understand the Yankees desire to get him regular starts throughout August while preparing him for a September call-up.
This is not Leroux’s first trip to the Bronx this season. Earlier this season, he was pummeled for five runs in taking the loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. He hasn’t been all that sharp as a starter for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre going 4-3 with a 4.37 ERA over nine starts. With a big series against the Baltimore Orioles on deck, the Yankees must be going with the reliability of experience over youth. Leroux has made 65 big league appearances over his five year career, which may be what has given him the nod over Mitchell.
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This won’t be the last Yankees fans hear from Mitchell. Should he excel down this last run for the RailRiders, there is a strong possibility he is back in just a few weeks. As for Leroux, he is seemingly playing on borrowed time with little or no room for error. The Yankees begin a huge week of baseball Monday night at Baltimore kicking off a three game set. They close the week in Tampa for another three game bout.