The New York Yankees, fresh off a close 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Friday’s opener, are going to play two games against their archrivals on Saturday, which means they had to make some moves to finalize their roster ahead of the twin bill.
The team announced that 27-year-old right-hander Brendan Beck is their “27th Man” ahead of the doubleheader. Cam Schlittler and three relievers combined to shut out the Sox on Friday, so Beck will be available to provide some innings on Saturday if needed. The best-case scenario, of course, is that the Yankees are winning big in a blowout and have the flexibility to use Beck to soak up the final frames. But he can also be a long reliever in a pinch.
Prior to Game 1 of today’s doubleheader, the Yankees appointed RHP Brendan Beck (#89) as their “27th Man.”
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 29, 2026Beck has already pitched in two MLB games this season, starting one of them and covering 6.2 frames between the two. He has a bloated 9.45 ERA with seven hits, five walks, and four strikeouts (the first spot start went much better than the second).
Beck has done most of his work in Triple-A, where he has been much better with a 2.75 ERA in 121 innings as a full-time starter. There, he has walked 37 batters and struck out 133. He last pitched on August 15th.
Yesterday, the Yankees revealed that Max Fried will be activated to start Game 2 of the doubleheader, marking a quick return from his second injured list stint. He was placed there on August 17th, retroactive to the 14th, with a left elbow bone bruise.
It turns out the ailment wasn’t overly serious this time around, and the 32-year-old left-hander will be able to return in time to help the Yankees in a key series. For the season, he has a 2.81 ERA in 86.1 innings.
The Yankees still haven’t announced who will be leaving the active roster to make room for Fried. Left-hander Carlos Rodón will start the first game, so they don’t need to change their roster until the nightcap.
Elmer Rodríguez, who started a game on Wednesday and tossed six innings, would have been among the alternatives to be optioned to Triple-A, but manager Aaron Boone just announced that he will start on Monday in Anaheim. So that leaves Yerry De los Santos, Michael Fulmer, and Justin Topa as the most three most likely to leave the roster between games to activate Fried. De los Santos is the only one with options who wouldn’t have to be designated for assignment, so he may be out of luck this time around.
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