With a scoreless ninth inning during Thursday’s loss to the Astros, Ron Marinaccio lowered his ERA to a pristine 1.42. The Yankees demoted the righty to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre shortly thereafter.
The move came as a bit of a surprise, as Marinaccio has had success over 12.2 big league innings this season.
“That’s a tough conversation to have,” Aaron Boone said Friday in Tampa. “Ron’s in a really good place throwing the ball, and obviously, he’s performed well. I feel like coming off the heels of last year, he’s worked really hard to put himself in a good position after struggling a little bit early in spring training. Finished spring training strong and is throwing the ball really well here to start the year with Scranton and us.
“He was upset, understandably, but the biggest thing is trying to control what you can do between the lines regardless of where you’re at, and he will.”
The Yankees needed to make space in their bullpen with Nick Burdi returning from a hip injury prior to Friday’s series opener against the Rays, but Michael Tonkin seemed like the most dispensable choice.
A journeyman claimed off waivers a few weeks ago, Tonkin hasn’t allowed a run over 5.2 innings with the Yankees. However, they’ve only been using the right-hander for mop-up work, and Tonkin has already pitched for three teams this season.
Still, the Yankees decided to keep Tonkin. Doing so allowed the club to maintain its current bullpen depth, as Marinaccio has a minor league option and can be demoted without the Yankees running the risk of losing him to another team.
None of the club’s other relievers were a candidate to be optioned or cut.
While safe for now, Tonkin’s days could be numbered with Tommy Kahnle working on a rehab assignment. He’s expected to pitch in five minor league games; his first came on May 8 with Single-A Tampa. He’s scheduled to pitch for the Tarpons on Saturday as well.
“We’re hopefully a couple weeks away,” Boone said of Kahnle, who will have his assignment transferred to one of the Yankees’ northern affiliates after Saturday.
In the meantime, it’s a tough break for Marinaccio, who has allowed just two earned runs over nine games since making his season debut on April 13.
The 28-year-old had cemented a spot in Boone’s circle of trust in 2022, recording a 2.05 ERA as a rookie. However, Marinaccio dealt with a shin injury toward the end of that season, and a bumpy 2023 saw him record a 3.99 ERA in the majors and an 8.80 ERA in the minors.
Marinaccio appears to be in a better spot now. The Yankees’ decision to demote him was a practical one, not an indication that the young pitcher hasn’t done his job.
The Yankees will surely call on Marinaccio again when they have an opening in their bullpen. For now, however, they prioritized roster flexibility.
“I’m confident that he’ll be an important part of us moving forward as the season unfolds,” Boone said.
HANGING BACK IN TAMPA
With Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation) expected to throw his third bullpen in Tampa on Saturday, Boone said that the ace may hang back in Florida for an additional pen session at the Yankees’ player development complex and some “some biokinetic stuff” before possibly meeting the team in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, it sounds like DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced foot fracture) will get some live at-bats in the coming days. He is also expected to stay back and work at the complex.
PERAZA MOVES UP
Oswald Peraza (shoulder strain) had his rehab assignment moved from Single-A Tampa to Double-A Somerset on Friday. The infielder played in two games for the Tampa Tarpons, hitting a home run in the first.
It remains to be seen how the Yankees will use Peraza once his assignment is over, but the current construction of the roster would likely lead to him being stashed at Triple-A. The Yankees already have two utilitymen in Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera, and both can play shortstop, Peraza’s natural position.
A talented defender, Peraza has yet to show that he can hit in the majors.
