Ahead of game two of three with the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees added a pair of arms into their struggling bullpen.
The New York Yankees optioned rookie left-hander Jordan Montgomery and right-hander Luis Cessa down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in order to make room for the call-ups of Jonathan Holder and Ben Heller.
While sending down the pitcher who ranks first among rookie starters (min. 50 IP) in ERA (3.65) seems harsh, he’s not needed until the fifth day after the All-Star break — which begins Monday. Montgomery could make a start in the minors to keep fresh and be back in the Bronx by July 18 when he’s scheduled to start next.
The 24-year-old hasn’t recorded a losing decision since May 29 and pitched just 4.1 innings on Friday night thanks to a 51-minute rain delay.
Cessa was being used for bullpen depth following the return of CC Sabathia to the starting rotation and is also heading to the RailRiders. He last pitched on July 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays where he went 4.2 innings of scoreless relief work with three strikeouts. On the year for the Yankees, he’s 0-3 in five games (three starts) with a 4.57 ERA and 17 strikeouts.