CLEARWATER, Fla. — After all that Scott Effross did to come back from Tommy John and back surgeries, he is hamstrung once again.
Tests revealed that the Yankees reliever suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on the first and only pitch of his outing Tuesday against the Twins, which will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
“He’s going to need some time,” manager Aaron Boone said Thursday before the Yankees tied the Phillies, 7-7, at BayCare Ballpark.
Effross was scheduled for a PRP injection Thursday to help the healing process, but it typically takes weeks to recover from a Grade 2 strain.
Neither he nor Boone wanted to put a timetable on it just yet, though Effross should at least be able to keep his arm active during the rehab process, a small consolation.
Scott Effross throwing at Yankees spring training on Feb. 16, 2025.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“It sucks, no two ways around it,” Effross said. “Frustrating just not being able to be relied upon from a health perspective the last couple years. But I think this is going to be a much shorter window than what I’ve experienced earlier. I’ve learned a lot about rehab the last couple years. So I think mentally I’m more prepared for this … not rushing it, being as positive as possible mentally and leaning on the staff, leaning on my great teammates here.”
Effross had been trending toward claiming a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen, with his stuff looking much crisper early in camp than it did last season, when he made it back to the big leagues for just three September outings.
The 31-year-old side-armer, acquired from the Cubs at the 2022 trade deadline, has pitched in just 16 games for the Yankees because of his various injuries.
Yankees reliever Scott Effross was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Carlos Rodón made his second start of the spring Thursday, building his pitch count up to 57 while giving up three runs across 2 ²/₃ innings.
Three of his four strikeouts came on sliders, and he came away from the outing feeling more encouraged than his debut on Saturday against the Blue Jays.
“Today was a lot better,” Rodón said. “Thought command-wise it was pretty good. I know I walked two, but thought I had a good feel of where the zone was. Good breaking balls in the zone, and I thought it was a lot better than the last one.”
Aaron Judge will make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, and DJ LeMahieu will play his first game either Saturday or Monday — both home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Giancarlo Stanton remained away from camp for the fourth straight day to tend to a personal matter. Boone was hopeful that the veteran DH would be back “soon.” … Jorbit Vivas, who was initially mentioned as being involved in the third base competition, has yet to play a game after being slowed by a shoulder issue. But Boone said the prospect could get into a game by this weekend or early next week. … Oswaldo Cabrera homered in the seventh inning, his first of the spring.
