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New York Yankees News: Yankees Promote First Wave of Minor Leaguers as Rosters Expand

By Michael Cambria

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The reinforcements are coming.

Just moments after the Yankees nail-biting 4-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox up in Fenway Park,  Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal has reported that the Yankees already made their first wave of minor league call-ups as rosters are set to expand to 40-men across the major leagues on September 1st.

The most intriguing names on this list are of course Rob Refsnyder, Caleb Cotham and Jose Pirela, but it’s important to note the two major-league veterans who are set to join the big league club as well.

Utility-man Dustin Ackley, who ended up being the Yankees only trade deadline acquisition from the Seattle Mariners is coming off a right-lumbar strain in his back after pinch-hitting in just two games for the Yankees in early August.

Oddly enough, Ackley might be a key-player to the Yankees post-season run in September. With Mark Teixeira heading back to New York to get his leg injury re-examined and Gregory Bird tailing off a bit at first base, the Yankees look to be in dire need of another option at first base. Though Ackley has primarily played second base and right field, he has a total of 18 professional games played at first base, where he’s done relatively well. Yes it’s a small sample size, but Ackley is a way better option than trying to plug Alex Rodriguez back in at first.

The other player is reliever Andrew Bailey, who was originally signed by the Yankees as a reclamation project after undergoing a torn labrum in 2013 that led to one arm injury after another.

Bailey is yet to pitch a major league game for the New York Yankees, but the former Oakland Athletic and Boston Red Sox has pitched to a 3-0 record with a 1.80 ERA and 42 strikeouts through 35.0 innings across four different minor league levels this year. If Bailey can remain healthy, he might just be the dominant force in the bullpen that Brian Cashman has been looking to add alongside Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller all season long. Wouldn’t it be something special if the kid from Vorhees, New Jersey and an alum of Wagner College on Staten Island, NY can complete his major league comeback and pitch well for the Yankees down the stretch?

With two games remaining between the Yankees and Red Sox this week, it’ll be interesting to see if Bailey pitches in his first game since 2013 up in Fenway Park against the very same team that gave up on him when he was injured.

This is just the beginning phase of prospects being called up. Expect a lot more new faces around the Yankees clubhouse after this first wave.

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