Yankees make roster move after bullpen strategy backfires in Atlanta originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Yankees’ sketchy pitching plan backfired Friday night, and now they need to scramble again to cover themselves.

According to The New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the team is designating reliever RIco Garcia for assignment after Thursday night’s bullpen scramble in Atlanta. Garcia was one of four relievers used in the 8–1 loss, a self-inflicted mess following the All-Star break.

The Yankees chose to open the second half with a bullpen game. After four days off. With a rotation already thinned by injury.

J.T. Brubaker handled three innings in his debut. Garcia covered one. Ian Hamilton opened. It didn’t work.

And now the Yankees are short an arm again. This wasn’t a surprise. It was preventable.

They could have recalled a lengthened starter from Triple-A. Or gone with Will Warren, who last pitched on Sunday. Or Marcus Stroman, who pitched Friday and was lined up on extra rest.

Instead, they used four relievers in Game 1 of a road trip and burned enough innings that someone had to go. Garcia was the odd man out. He’d just been picked up last week from the Mets, who DFA’d him as well.

He has thrown 15.2 solid innings this year with a 3.45 ERA, but he was always an emergency arm they could cut if they needed to.

So now the Yankees are scrambling again.

Max Fried has been pushed back to the Toronto series. Cam Schlittler was scratched Friday with arm discomfort, but the Yankees are hopeful they will get him a start in the Blue Jays series as well.

And with two games still to play in Atlanta, then a three-game series in Toronto, the Yankees are down to hoping someone steps up. Or steps in.

The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, but the Yankees need to get there. Burning through the bullpen on the first day of the second half of the season wasn’t a great start.

And now they need another arm. Again

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.