With the first pitch of the season just hours away, the Yankees unveiled their Opening Day roster on Thursday afternoon.
On Wednesday, however, they announced what felt like an entire roster’s worth of injured list designations. That reveal read like this:
- RHP Clayton Beeter was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with right shoulder impingement syndrome.
- RHP JT Brubaker was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with left rib fractures.
- RHP Scott Effross was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with a left hamstring strain.
- RHP Ian Hamilton was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with a viral illness.
- INF DJ LeMahieu was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with a left calf strain.
- RHP Jonathan Loáisiga was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with right elbow surgery recovery.
- RHP Clarke Schmidt was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with right rotator cuff tendonitis.
- DH/OF Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 3/24) with right and left elbow epicondylitis.
That CVS receipt-length list came after the Yankees had already placed Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) and Luis Gil (lat strain) on the 60-day IL.
With those transactions out of the way, here’s a look at who will be on the Yankees’ 26-man roster when they open their season against the Brewers.
Catchers (3): Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, Ben Rice
The Yankees made an uncommon, but not unprecedented, decision to carry three catchers on their roster. What’s even weirder is that all three swing from the left side.
However, Stanton’s tennis elbows and LeMahieu’s calf made this the right call, as Rice can fill the DH spot and backup at first base. He earned the right to do so after bulking up and producing Stanton-esque exit velocities this spring. Escarra also earned his stripes, going from ex-Uber driver and substitute teacher to a backup role after an impressive exhibition season.
Infielders (6): 1B Paul Goldschmidt 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B Oswaldo Cabrera, SS Anthony Volpe, UTL Oswald Peraza, UTL Pablo Reyes
It was no secret that the Yankees wanted some right-handed help on their bench and/or at third base, but Cabrera will be the go-to option at the position for now while Reyes and Peraza vie for playing time.
Reyes — who can play all over like Cabrera — should have a leg up on Peraza, as he is a right-handed swinger and earned admiration from Aaron Boone this spring. Peraza has yet to show that he can hit major league pitching and may not be long for the roster despite cracking the Opening Day squad.
Outfielders (4): RF Aaron Judge, CF Cody Bellinger, LF Jasson Domínguez, OF Trent Grisham
While Domínguez experienced a few more mishaps in left field earlier this spring, he and the Yankees seem comfortable with the defensive strides he’s made.
Judge should benefit defensively from a return to right field, but he’ll also get some DH days with Stanton out. That should mean more opportunities for Grisham to play center than he received last year.
Rotation (5): Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, Marcus Stroman, Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco
Rodón took Cole’s Opening Day start, but Fried is the clear-cut No. 1 on this injury-ravaged staff.
Those aches and pains created space for not only Stroman, who entered camp as the Yankees’ sixth starter, but also for the inexperienced Warren and the veteran Carrasco, a non-roster invitee.
Bullpen (8): RHP Devin Williams (CL), RHP Luke Weaver, RHP Fernando Cruz, RHP Mark Leiter Jr., RHP Yoendrys Gómez, LHP Brent Headrick, LHP Tim Hill, LHP Ryan Yarbrough
With so many relievers on the IL, the Yankees had three open bullpen spots toward the end of camp. One went to an external addition, as the Yankees signed Yarbrough on Monday.
Gómez and Headrick took the last two spots. Gómez, like Peraza, is out of minor league options and would have been exposed to waivers if not added to the roster, while Headrick still has an option. That gives the Yankees some roster flexibility.
Originally Published: March 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM EDT
