Maciejewski promoted, Cousins demoted, Andrew in roster uncertainty. Clear on that?
The Yankees have had a strong start to the season with an 8-2 record in their first 10 games. However, with their ace Gerrit Cole on the injured list and inconsistent performances from most of the starting rotation, their bullpen has been heavily utilized since Opening Day. Among the 28 teams that began their seasons on March 28th, the Yankees’ bullpen ranks third in total innings pitched at 40.2, trailing only the Cubs and the team they will face in the next three days, the Marlins.
Given that both Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil only pitched 4.1 innings each on Saturday and Sunday, it was likely that a new reliever would join the team before the series against Miami. As expected, the Yankees announced on Monday afternoon that left-handed pitcher Josh Maciejewski was called up from Triple-A Scranton. The 28-year-old, drafted in the 10th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, is set to make his MLB debut if he gets into a game. He would become just the 10th player in history to make the majors out of UNC-Charlotte and the first since former Mets pitcher John Maine. Maciejewski has been impressive in the early season for the RailRiders, pitching 4.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, two hits, and one walk. His primary pitch is a sinker, which generated five whiffs on 10 swings in his recent outing for Scranton. He also utilizes a slider and a changeup. Maciejewski had a 49.3-percent ground-ball rate in 23.2 innings at Triple-A late last year, although he also spent some time in Double-A Somerset and High-A Hudson Valley.
To make room for Maciejewski, Jake Cousins was sent down to Triple-A from the New York bullpen after a couple of inconsistent performances. Additionally, left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews, acquired from Milwaukee in a minor trade in mid-February, was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster. Andrews was already with Scranton, so the Yankees will have to see if he clears waivers.