Yankees' struggling bullpen could receive a major boost in the near future

The New York Yankees are about to have one of their key relief pitchers return to MLB after a long absence due to various injuries.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Yankees announced that right-handed reliever Scott Effross was being transferred from the Low-A Tampa Tarpons to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders as part of his rehabilitation assignment.

Before Game 2 of the Subway Series on Wednesday, Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo asked Yankees manager Aaron Boone about the timetable for Effross' return from the IL. Boone said the reliever “still has a ways to go” and is due “a few outings.” That said, Boone believes he will be an option for the Yankees bullpen in the coming weeks.

Effross pitched two games for the Tarpons and tossed three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and one hit allowed. The next time Effross takes the mound will be his third rehab appearance, which will come with Scranton. If all goes well in his next few outings, he should be back in the Yankees bullpen relatively soon.

Effross has not thrown a pitch in MLB since 2022 due to multiple surgeries. The Yankees acquired him from the Chicago Cubs for right-handed prospect Hayden Wesneski at the trade deadline two years ago.

Effross, 30, pitched in 13 games and posted a 2.13 ERA for the Yankees before being shut down due to a shoulder strain in 2022. Effross made his debut with the Yankees on August 2, 2022 and only finished 20 days later. It's been a long road for Effross after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the offseason before the 2023 regular season and then having back surgery last offseason.

The Yankees' bullpen has struggled the most, allowing eight earned runs in 7.2 innings against the Mets over the last two days of the Subway Series. The swept Yankees have now lost four straight series and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. New York's bullpen has struggled of late, dropping to 17th with a 1.5 fWAR.

Effross can miss bats with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings during his MLB career from 2021 to 2022. He also has a ground ball rate of around 45 percent. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is more than five-to-one at 22.3 percent. In 74 big league games, Effross posted 71.1 innings, 80 strikeouts, four saves, a 2.78 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.

Effross will likely need some time to return to his full potential in MLB after being sidelined for so long. The Yankees, in shock, hope that he will find him quickly upon his return.