The Yankees launched right-hander Duane Underwood Jr., who’d been pitching for his or her Triple-A affiliate after signing a minor league deal within the offseason, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. He’s a free agent who can now signal with any membership.
Underwood’s launch comes regardless of typically stable leads to Scranton. He’s pitched 38 2/3 innings for the RailRiders, logging a 3.26 ERA with a 23.4% strikeout fee that’s barely north of the large league common. The Yankees by no means recreation him a glance within the huge leagues this season, probably due partly to an unpalatable 14% stroll fee that portends some regression in that in any other case sharp earned run common.
A second-round decide by the Cubs again in 2012, the now 30-year-old Underwood has three-plus years of massive league service which were accrued over components of six seasons break up evenly between the Cubs and Pirates. Underwood discovered some first rate success with Pittsburgh from 2021-22 and even labored his means right into a leverage position with the ’22 Bucs. Over these two seasons, he tallied 130 innings of 4.36 ERA ball with a 21.1% strikeout fee, 9% stroll fee, 45.7% ground-ball fee, one save and a dozen holds. He was arguably miscast as a setup man, however Underwood regarded the a part of a wonderfully serviceable center reliever on the very least.
The 2023 season marked a notable step again for the right-hander, nonetheless. Underwood pitched simply 24 1/3 frames within the huge leagues and was roughed up for a 5.18 ERA with obtrusive declines in his strikeout and stroll charges. His common sinker fell from 95.3 mph in ’22 to 93.6 mph in ’23, and Underwood posted a career-low 14% strikeout fee in opposition to a career-worst 11% stroll fee. Pittsburgh handed him by waivers final June. He turned a minor league free agent at season’s finish and signed with the Yankees.
On the entire, Underwood has 190 2/3 innings of 4.63 ERA ball below his belt within the majors. He’s set down 21.5% of his opponents on strikes and issued free passes at a 9% clip — each numbers proper in step with the outcomes he delivered for the 2021-22 Pirates. He’s labored largely in brief aid with the Yankees group, though Underwood does have eight appearances by which he’s recorded between 4 and 6 outs over the previous couple months. He might be an possibility for a crew looking for some depth within the type of an skilled arm that’s snug working greater than an inning per look.
