After a crushing 12–5 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, the New York Yankees made a pair of roster changes aimed at strengthening a bullpen that surrendered 10 earned runs in the loss. Right-handed reliever Scott Effross and infielder Jorbit Vivas were both optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, clearing space for immediate reinforcements.

Effross, 31, bore the brunt of the damage late in the game. Entering in the ninth inning with the Yankees trailing 8–5, he gave up four runs on four hits, failing to record the shutdown frame the team desperately needed. His ERA ballooned from 5.59 to 8.44 after the outing. Across 11 appearances in 2025, Effross has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits in 10.2 innings, striking out six and walking three. The outing proved costly, both in the game and for his place on the roster.

Vivas, 24, didn’t fare much better this season. Used sparingly, he appeared in 29 games while slashing .161/.266/.250 with one home run and five RBIs. He entered Friday’s game as a late substitution at third base and flew out in his lone plate appearance.

In their place, the Yankees activated third baseman Ryan McMahon, acquired earlier in the day from the Colorado Rockies. The 30-year-old 2024 All-Star brings experience and a needed defensive upgrade to the hot corner. Through 100 games this season, McMahon is hitting .217 with a .314 on-base percentage and .403 slugging percentage, while adding 16 home runs and 35 RBIs.

Discussing McMahon's fit with the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt celebrated the addition, noting how exciting he fits within New York's defensive identity.

“He's a really good player, great defender,” Goldschmidt said of McMahon. “He's a good hitter, and he's going to help us.”

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that McMahon would be active for Saturday’s matchup against the Phillies. The Yankees, currently 56–47, trail the Phillies, who improved to 59–44 with Friday's win.

Boone also acknowledged the bullpen’s ongoing struggles. The relief corps entered Friday ranked 20th in the league with a 4.07 ERA and has been thinned by injuries to Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Ryan Yarbrough. With Clarke Schmidt out for the season and Luis Gil still recovering, reinforcements are expected before the July 31 trade deadline.

The Yankees are expected to call up a fresh arm Saturday morning. Whether that move stabilizes the bullpen or not, more changes could be imminent.

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