Roster Moves: Ryan Activated, Pineda Reinstated From The Suspended List, Placed On 15-Day DL

Roster moves: B. Ryan back from 15-day DL, MLB reinstated M. Pineda off susp. list, NYY put Pineda on 15-day DL w/ rt shoulder muscle injury
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) May 6, 2014

As expected, the Yankees have made their roster moves in response to Michael Pineda's 10-game suspension ending today.  He has been reinstated from the suspended list and placed on the 15-day disabled list for his back muscle strain.  The once again available 25-man roster spot was taken up by Brendan Ryan, who was activated off the DL.

This move gets the Yanks back to a normal roster breakdown: 8 positional starters, 5 starting pitchers, 1 DH, 7-man bullpen, 4-man bench.  They could use some defensive help up the middle, so expect to see Ryan get into the lineup mix immediately.  Pineda will start a throwing program later in the week to get started on his rehab.  We'll see how true that initial 3-4 recovery estimate was.

Report: Brendan Ryan Could Rejoin Team Today

Joe Girardi says Injured Brendan Ryan could rejoin the team shortly - possible for tomorrow as team heads to Anaheim
— Daniel Barbarisi (@DanBarbarisi) May 4, 2014

With Derek Jeter scuffling at the plate, Yangervis Solarte cooling down, and Brian Roberts being what we feared he might be, the Yankee infield could use some help.  According to Dan Barbarisi, that help could be coming as soon as tomorrow when the team activates Brendan Ryan from the DL.  The Yanks have been a man short while Michael Pineda serves his 10-game suspension (operating with a 3-man bench) and the suspension ends on Tuesday.  Ryan will most likely travel with the team to Anaheim, get a day off today, and then be activated and available for tomorrow night's game.

Joe said he wanted to get Ryan 40-50 plate appearances before bringing him back and by my count he's had 30 in his MiL rehab assignment.  I guess the Yanks are counting PA he got in a few ExST games before the assignment started towards the total.  There have been no negative reports about Ryan's back since he returned to game action, so it sounds like he's good to go.  He's not going to be the offensive savior of the group, but his presence will allow Joe to rest Jeter and Roberts a little more and play some favorable matchups and his defense should be a big boost to the pitching staff.

Just cross your fingers that his back doesn't stiffen up on the cross-country flight...

Ryan Starts Rehab Assignment

Out since mid-March with a pinched nerve in his upper back, Brendan Ryan took a big step towards his return from the DL this past Sunday when he began his MiL rehab assignment with the High-A Tampa Yankees.  Ryan has started at shortstop in each of the last 2 games for Tampa, going 3-8 with 1 BB and 2 RBI.  I haven't read any specifics on how many innings he played in the 2 games, but I have to think it would have been reported if it was less than 9.

Ryan missed most of Spring Training, so his rehab assignment will not be as brief as Teix's or D-Rob's were.  Joe said he wanted to get Ryan a full compliment of ST plate appearances before calling him up, so 40-50 should do the trick.  That would put Ryan on track for another 8-10 rehab games and a return to the Major League roster in about 2 weeks.  The Yankees are playing without a true backup shortstop for Derek Jeter right now and they've already had to sit him for a few games to rest a tight quad.  Ryan was always meant to be the man for that job, and the sooner he can get back to do it the better.

Ryan's Back Injury Complicates The Infield Situation

The Yankees have their first official injury problem of 2014 after yesterday's MRI on Brendan Ryan revealed a pinched nerve in his upper back.  This comes after he had already been out of action for over a week with a sore lower back/oblique, and the early reports make it sound like he's not going to be ready for Opening Day.  He's taking pills to help the pain and could get a cortisone injection next week, but there's no timetable for his return to baseball activities let alone games.

For such a small part of the infield puzzle, Ryan and his back issues could cause major problems in the infield if they don't heal properly and dog him throughout the season.  None of the other utility infielder types are in the same realm as him when it comes to defense, especially not Eduardo Nunez, and that's the biggest thing the Yankees need at short with Derek Jeter starting.  Dean Anna hasn't looked great defensively, Scott Sizemore hasn't been able to play much and couldn't handle shortstop if he was, and ST superstar Yangervis Solarte is a completely unknown commodity as a Major Leaguer.

The most important thing right now is that Ryan takes the time he needs to get healthy, and with any luck he won't miss too much game time once the regular season starts.  The longer he stays out though, the more pressure it puts on that next tier of guys, the more pressure it puts on Jeter, and the more pressure it puts on Joe to manage Jeter's workload.

How Much Are The Yankees Regretting Giving Brendan Ryan A 3-Year Deal Right Now?

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

One of the first moves the Yankees made this offseason, before they really started throwing money around, was re-signing Brendan Ryan to be Derek Jeter's defensive caddy at shortstop.  There was mutual interest in a return after Ryan finished last season as the starting shortstop and looked incredibly good doing it, and at the time a deal to shore up the defense at the most important infield position made a lot of sense.  Nobody knew what to expect from Jeter after his injury-plagued 2013 campaign except that he would be back for another year, and the list of productive 40-year-old shortstops isn't a long one.  When Jeter signed a new, more lucrative deal of his own, it looked like he might be planning to stick around beyond 2014 and the Yanks responded by locking up Ryan for 2 years guaranteed plus a mutual option for a 3rd year.

Brendan Ryan Signing Official, And For More Years

("Don't worry, Robbie.  I got this.")

The one bit of news that snuck through yesterday and bears posting today is the official announcement of the Brendan Ryan signing.  While it's basically been a done deal for a few weeks now, Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal was made official yesterday.  Somewhat surprisingly, there were additional years and dollars added to the contract than what was initially reported.

According to Rosenthal, the contract is for 2 years and $5 million, which raises the AAV a tick from $2 mil per year to 2.5.  There is also a mutual option for 2016 and an incentive package that could make the total value of the deal $10 million when all is said and done.  That might seem like a lot for a player with a bat as weak as Ryan's, but the Yankees badly need a defensive upgrade at the position and they don't have anything closely resembling a full-time replacement for The Captain in their farm system.  If Ryan hits slightly better than his career average and plays his typical stellar defense, this should be a winning deal for the Yanks.

Report: Yanks Re-Sign Brendan Ryan (Updated)

Via Jon Heyman, the Yankees and Brendan Ryan have agreed to a new contract,  There are no details yet, but after reports came out last week that a new deal was close and the teams were just waiting on the results of a standard physical it appears as though the Yanks have their first (and maybe only) piece of Jeter insurance in place.

Ryan hit .220/.258/.302 for the Yankees in just 17 games late this past season.  He was worth 0.1 fWAR, mainly on the strength of his defense, and assuming the Yanks don't sign a bigger name to also share the time at short he will most likely be handling the duties on days where Derek Jeter is the DH.  The new deal hasn't been confirmed by any of the Yankee beat guys yet, but I'll update the post as more information comes in.

** UPDATE 3:00 PM- Via Buster Olney, the value of the new deal is expected to be in the $2 million range.  Can't imagine there will be too many bonuses in there to drive that value up significantly. **

Report: Yanks "Close" To Re-Signing Brendan Ryan

(Used courtesy of the fine folks at Pinstripe Alley)

I mentioned this earlier in the Freese post, but the other "big" infield story that popped up yesterday involved Brendan Ryan and the high level of interest both he and the Yankees are reported to have in each other.  Ryan became the everyday shortstop after he was acquired late in the season, and hit .220/.258/.305 (.252 wOBA) in 62 plate appearances while reminding everybody what a good defensive shortstop looks like.  That performance appears to have been enough to convince the Yankee brass he's worth another go because Joel Sherman reported last night that the 2 sides are "close" to a new deal.  It's not even in the same area code as a Tanaka or McCann signing would be, but bringing Ryan back would be a smart strategic decision on multiple fronts.

Brendan Ryan Is My New Hero, And Needs To Be On The Team Next Year

(Oh so smoove.  Courtesy of the AP)

I have a confession to make.  I think I've got a little man crush on Brendan Ryan.  He's only been a Yankee for 11 games, but in those 11 games he's convinced me that he should absolutely be on the roster as the backup shortstop and de facto utility infielder next season.  It makes too much sense for him not to be on the roster.  He's exactly what the Yankees need at the position and a clear upgrade over any and everything they trotted out there this year in their lame attempt to cover for Derek Jeter's ankle.