Scott Effross' recent struggles could leave him stuck with Yankees' Triple-A team

The last signal the Yankees sent about rehabbing reliever Scott Effross indicated he still had a "ways to go" before he'd be an MLB option, echoing what Aaron Boone told the media at the end of June.

Effross, who suffered a shoulder strain after arriving in Summer 2022, then underwent Tommy John surgery that fall as well as a back procedure this offseason, was activated from his lengthy rehab last week and demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Clearly, the Yankees won't use him until they feel comfortable doing so.

A cursory glance at his numbers and recent trends will show fans exactly why Boone and Co. have been reticent to press this particular button.

Outside of a special night at Fenway Park midway through the Yankees' summer slide of '22, Effross' career in pinstripes has been one large, unfortunate calamity. It's also served as a reminder of why dealing for a player with a significant number of "years of control" isn't always a good thing. Occasionally, it can just leave you stuck with a problem for a longer period of time.

Effross allowed four earned runs on three hits and a walk Wednesday night against Worcester (the Red Sox affiliate), and was tagged by Triple-A legend Bobby Dalbec for a go-ahead home run. That raised his ERA to 7.45 in 10 appearances with SWB.

Yankees need more from 2022 trade acquisition Scott Effross before they promote him

While it's certainly possible Effross eventually returns to peak form, it's highly unlikely the Yankees will count him as an internal upgrade this summer around the trade deadline.

The sidewinding righty is bouncing back from both elbow and back surgery. The initial Tommy John procedure will set any pitcher backwards and place them on a lengthy rehab calendar. The second procecure might create lingering discomfort, throwing a wrench in a pitcher's routine and mound pattern semi-permanently (remember Carlos Rodón, post-back issue?).

The Yankees are waiting to elevate Effross until they see the "real" version of the right-hander. Given his inability to get on track in the high minors, that process could leave him as a long-term teammate of Ron Marinaccio (at the wrong level).