The Yankees’ bullpen depth took another hit on Monday.
24-year-old right hander Nick Rumbelow, currently pitching for Triple-A Scranton, will need to undergo Tommy John surgery according to multiple reports. Rumbelow was one of the members of the bullpen shuttle in 2015, pitching 15 ⅔ solid innings for New York. While he was beat out by Kirby Yates, Luis Cessa and Johnny Barbato in the spring reliever derby, Rumbelow was expected to be one of the first in line when a fresh arm was inevitably needed.
Interestingly, the team decided late in the spring to use Rumbelow in the Triple-A rotation and had been stretching him out as a starter over the past few weeks. Whether or not that contributed to this injury is uncertain. He was removed before the fifth inning of his most recent start with the RailRiders.
The rehabilitation schedule for Tommy John seems to vary from team to team, but it is generally between 12-14 months. Conor Mullee was called up from Double-A Trenton to replace Rumbelow on the Scranton roster, and former Phillie Tyler Cloyd, who was signed by the Yankees out of the KBO this winter, will take Rumbelow’s spot in the Triple-A rotation.
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