JT

Brubaker

Brubaker has been out for the entirety of the 2025 season after suffering three fractured ribs just before the start of the campaign. The 31-year-old will be a middle-inning option for the Yankees now that he’s back on the roster.

Effross returning to the minors paves the way for JT Brubaker to be activated from the injured list ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Angels.

Brubaker’s run of bad luck continued when he suffered three broken ribs upon being hit by a comebacker this spring. He won’t be a candidate to join the Yankees until late May now.

It’s unclear whether Brubaker was a legitimate candidate to break camp in New York’s bullpen, but he’ll open the regular season with a trip to the injured list. The 31-year-old righty suffered three broken ribs last month when he was hit by a comebacker. There isn’t a definitive return timetable at the moment.

The earlier reports that Brubaker had merely tweaked his side during the incident, but it appears to have been a bit more serious than that. Boone acknowledged that the injury will cost Brubaker some time, but didn’t get into specifics on how long he’ll be shelved for. It wouldn’t be surprising if he began the season on the injured list.

It doesn’t sound like there’s anything wrong structurally after Brubaker was hit by a line drive during Friday’s game, but he will receive treatment. Expect him to be up and throwing again within the next few days.

The Yankees will assuredly have Brubaker undergo testing to see if there’s any structural damage. For now the right-hander would be considered day-to-day if this was regular season action. Brubaker is trying to win one of the final spots in the New York pitching staff with a good showing this spring.

No word yet on the financial details of the pact, but Brubaker had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.275 million via arbitration. The 31-year-old hurler was shut down in July with an oblique issue that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Brubaker hasn’t pitched in a game at the big-league level since the 2022 season.

It’s an unfortunate setback for Brubaker as he’ll be completely shut down from throwing until at least mid-to-late August, which doesn’t leave him a ton of time to ramp up for a late-season return. The 30-year-old righty, who was acquired back in late March from the Pirates in a small trade, is working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and figures to pitch in relief once he’s ready to make his Yankees debut.

Brubaker is currently on a rehab assignment as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, and picked up the injury while making a fielding attempt. Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered no timetable, only saying he’d be shut down. Brubaker has an outside shot of helping the New York pitching staff at some point in 2024.