Just days after being designated for assignment, veteran reliever Adam Ottavino is back in pinstripes. The Yankees re-signed the 39-year-old right-hander Sunday evening, according to SNY's Andy Martino. The move comes shortly after Ottavino cleared waivers and elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the minors. He’s expected to rejoin the big-league club for Monday’s series opener in Detroit against the Tigers.

New York didn’t need to make a corresponding roster move to fit Ottavino back onto the 40-man roster. They had an open spot available — the same one created when he was designated for assignment earlier in the week to make room for closer Devin Williams, who returned from the paternity list.

Left-hander Brent Headrick was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Sunday’s win, effectively opening a spot on the 26-man roster. Headrick had been impressive in his short stint, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts across four appearances, including two shutout frames on Sunday. But with the bullpen taxed after back-to-back short outings from starters Marcus Stroman and Will Warren, the Yankees needed a fresh arm — and Ottavino became the easy plug-and-play option.

Adam Ottavino returns to the Yankees

New York Yankees relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) pitches during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins in game one of the 2019 ALDS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Ottavino, who signed with the Yankees last Tuesday, made two appearances during his brief stay, recording 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Though his time was short-lived, manager Aaron Boone was encouraged by what he saw.

“He’s kinda been on our board a little bit,” Boone said when the Yankees first brought Ottavino in. “I know the front office [has] been talking about him the last couple weeks as a potential. Felt like what he was doing back-end of spring training was in-line with who Otto is.”

Ottavino is no stranger to New York. He pitched for the Yankees from 2019-2020, including a dominant 1.90 ERA campaign in 2019. He later spent time with the Red Sox and most recently the Mets, where he posted a 3.14 ERA across three seasons before hitting free agency.

While his velocity and effectiveness have dipped slightly in recent years, Ottavino still brings veteran savvy and a proven track record — traits the Yankees bullpen may rely on as they navigate injuries and high workloads. With reliever Ian Hamilton expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, New York could soon have more flexibility to manage innings early in the season. Whether Ottavino’s return is a short-term Band-Aid or a longer stay remains to be seen, but for now, the Yankees are banking on the experienced righty to give them some much-needed bullpen depth as they open a road series in Detroit.