The New York Yankees made a surprising but telling move immediately after a 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals Monday night. In the midst of a tight AL Wild Card race, the team optioned reliever Yerry de Los Santos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre just minutes after the final out.
The demotion came quickly after the win at Yankee Stadium, despite de Los Santos providing needed bullpen coverage. The right-hander pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief but faltered late, giving up four earned runs in a shaky ninth inning that included a grand slam to Jacob Young. What began as a blowout ended with an uneasy finish, and de Los Santos once again found himself optioned. It’s a familiar pattern this season, as he continues to bounce between the majors and Triple-A — filling innings when needed, then clearing space as the Yankees manage roster flexibility through his minor-league options.
The bullpen struggles have been a recurring theme this season, and the club wasted no time making a change. The Yankees’ official public relations account posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), confirming the move.
“Following tonight’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Yerry de los Santos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.”
While de Los Santos had been quietly effective in middle relief — entering the game with a 1.57 ERA and just one earned run allowed since May 31 — Monday’s meltdown shifted the conversation. Manager Aaron Boone appeared to be managing his bullpen conservatively, likely aiming to preserve high-leverage arms. Still, with de Los Santos having pitched the night before and an off day looming, the decision drew scrutiny. His rough ninth inning underscored the razor-thin margin for error during the stretch run, and the Yankees responded swiftly.
The demotion clears space for the expected return of right-hander Luis Gil, who is set to start on Tuesday. The activation of Gil is a key part of Boone’s strategy to keep the pitching staff fresh entering the final month of the season. Returning from injury, Gil holds a 4.26 ERA this year and adds swing-and-miss potential to a bullpen that has shown signs of late-inning vulnerability.
His return provides timely stability to a pitching staff that has relied heavily on depth arms throughout the summer, with several relievers recently showing signs of wear down the stretch.
Despite the win, the late-inning scare served as a reminder of how thin the margin for error is in a tight playoff race. New York currently holds the second AL Wild Card spot, just one game ahead of Seattle. With 30 games remaining, the message from the front office was loud and clear — performance outweighs sentiment.
