Yankees Recall Elmer Rodriguez to Start Against Astros

The New York Yankees recalled right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros on August 26, 2026. The move comes as the team addresses pitching injuries during their postseason push.

Rodriguez, ranked as the organization's No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, makes his fifth major-league start of the season. To clear a spot on the 26-man active roster, New York optioned right-handed reliever Bradley Hanner to Triple-A, as reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post on X.

"Source: To make room for Elmer Rodriguez on the roster to start tonight, the Yankees are optioning Bradley Hanner to AAA," wrote Joel Sherman, reporter for the New York Post.

Hanner had his contract selected from Triple-A on Aug. 11 after signing a minor league deal in the offseason. The 27-year-old reliever allowed six hits and two home runs over four innings across three appearances, including a 25-pitch outing on Tuesday against Houston.

Rodriguez enters Wednesday's start with a 4.76 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts to 11 walks across 17 major-league innings pitched this year. In Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the 23-year-old posted an 8-3 record with a 2.59 ERA and 99 strikeouts over 97 1/3 innings in 19 starts.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Rodriguez's assignment to the starting rotation following an injury to starter Ryan Weathers, who was placed on the injured list with a left forearm flexor strain. Team officials indicated Rodriguez could earn additional starts with the big league club depending on his performance.

Elmer Rodríguez has a locker in the #Yankees' clubhouse. They've got TBD listed for tomorrow's probables. — Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 25, 2026

The Yankees continue their three-game series against the Astros seeking rotation stability while core position players Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton manage ongoing injuries down the stretch.