Yankees make official demotion to welcome Marcus Stroman back to roster

The New York Yankees left Sunday's starter a TBA entering the weekend, reportedly wanting to get one more closer look at the rehabbing Marcus Stroman before giving him the nod.

Stroman's final rehab appearance with Double-A Somerset was nearly his undoing; after 6 2/3 solid innings in his first two outings, his third was a mess, underwhelming with 10 hits and five runs allowed in 3 2/3 frames (with inferior stuff). This looked a lot like the version of Stroman that led the Yankees to place him on the IL with a knee issue in the first place.

While Stroman has made it clear that he's willing to play by whatever roster rules the Yankees prefer (now that he has no chance of reaching his 2026 option and it cannot be manipulated by the team), New York will have him join the rotation for now and replace the ailing Ryan Yarbrough.

To make room for Stroman - who must have impressed enough in his bullpen session in the Bronx - the Yankees demoted Allan Winans on Saturday afternoon.

Yankees demote Allan Winans, bring Marcus Stroman back to rotation

Winans earned a chance at the MLB level, given his patently absurd 0.90 ERA in the minors. To say he didn't live up to that lofty standard would be an understatement.

Winans' first outing was a start against the Reds on Monday, where he mowed down Cincinnati through three innings on 24 pitches before the wheels came off. Presumably, he was an option for Sunday's start if Stroman continued to struggle, but he was instead used for mop-up duty on Saturday afternoon, allowing the final three runs of a sleepy 7-0 loss in the Bronx.

And now the ball will be handed to Stroman to attempt to capture the series win that seemed so elementary when Devin Williams wrapped up Friday night's shutout victory 3-0. Will Warren had held on tightly. The Yankees offense had struggled to get the big hit (as is customary), but they scratched out a few and rode a ridiculous bullpen effort to a seamless win where they all but outclassed the visiting A's.

All of a sudden, the series victory now falls on Stroman's shoulders, and the offense will likely have to rise to a loftier height to execute the team's simple task.