Yankees promote reliever Angel Chivilli, option Brendan Beck

The Yankees needed an emergency starter on Saturday in the wake of Carlos Rodón’s return to the IL—Brendan Beck was the man tapped to do it, and he struggled through 3.2 innings in an eventual 11-4 loss to the Twins. On Sunday morning, the Yankees made the expected move, optioning Beck back to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Angel Chivilli has been recalled in a corresponding swap as the Yankees search for some extra bullpen help.

Chivilli, who debuted with the Rockies at just 21 years old in 2024, made a brief cameo with the Yankees this April, appearing in two games. Chivilli hit the 15-day IL on April 25th with right shoulder discomfort, returning on June 11th and remaining in Scranton. He has pitched to a 1.08 ERA across 12 appearances with the RailRiders this season.

It’s unlikely too many will remember this minor transaction from the offseason, but Chivilli was traded last winter for first baseman T.J. Rumfield, who has enjoyed a breakout rookie campaign in Colorado. The Yankees would certainly like the young right-hander to eventually emerge as a useful option for a bullpen—they’re big fans of his stuff, particularly his changeup, which has flashed elite swing-and-miss potential. But as far as the here-and-now, he’s probably going to be deployed in low-leverage spots—as he did when he popped up earlier in the season.

It doesn’t always feel like it, but Yankees relievers have pitched to a 3.15 ERA this season, which ranks second in MLB behind the Braves. In terms of fWAR, the core grades out seventh in the league. Some individual relievers have struggled, however—Camilo Doval has a 4.81 ERA on the season, and allowed four runs in the eighth inning on Saturday.