The Yankees on Tuesday elevated Justus Sheffield and Domingo German from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and what that means for Sheffield will be determined by what situations present themselves.
“No specific plan, not necessarily a specific role,’’ manager Aaron Boone said of the 22-year-old left-hander whom some, but not all, believe is the Yankees’ top pitching prospect.
“He is someone who potentially can give us a little bit of length. He is not built up like he was as a starter, but he is still a guy we feel can give us a couple of innings. The role could evolve to where we want to see him in a spot against a specific hitter or maybe a specific lefty. But nothing set in stone how we will use him.’’
Sheffield has never pitched in a big league game, so asking him to be part of a postseason roster is likely a reach, but Boone didn’t rule it completely out.
“We will see, you never know,’’ Boone said when asked if Sheffield had a shot at the postseason roster. “A lot changes day to day, every couple of days depending on need, depending on performance.’’
In a combined 25 games (20 starts) with Trenton (Double-A) and SWB, Sheffield went 7-6 with a 2.48 ERA.
Sheffield, the centerpiece of the 2016 trade with the Indians for Andrew Miller, worked in relief in the final four appearances for SWB. He added three more relief outings in the postseason.
“It’s been fine,’’ Sheffield said of the transition from starter to reliever. “I know that early on it was kind of rocky just because getting a routine down was a little hard, but I’m feeling comfortable. … It’s been a bit of a learning experience, but I think I’m on the right track.”
Sheffield admitted he was somewhat thrown off when he became a reliever, and he was more focused on pitching than wondering when he’d make his MLB debut.
“I didn’t know if I was gonna come [up] or not,’’ Sheffield said. “It threw me off, going to the bullpen. I figured maybe I could get here in the bullpen, but I didn’t want to give it too much thought.”
When asked if he still saw himself as a starter, Sheffield said, “For sure.”
But his main goal now is to impress any way he can.
“I’m pretty awed right now, to be honest with you,’’ Sheffield said of being in the majors while the team is fighting for the top wild-card spot. “I feel like any situation you get called up, you’ve got to get right to it. They brought you up for a reason. I’m not here to hang out. I’m here to do my job. I obviously know where we are in the standings, but I need to focus on what I need to focus on.”
German made 13 starts for the Yankees this year and pitched in relief six times. As a starter, the right-hander went 2-5 with a 6.18 ERA. Out of the pen, he was 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA.
