The Yankees announced on Monday that they have designated right-handed pitcher Colby White for assignment. Left-hander Clayton Andrews has been promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place on the roster. Additionally, right-hander Ian Hamilton has been placed on the COVID-related injured list.
White, 25, was claimed off waivers from the Rays organization on May 9. He played in two games for the Yankees’ Double-A team, recording just two outs while facing six batters. During these appearances, he allowed two hits (one home run), two walks, and struck out one, resulting in two earned runs.
White was a sixth-round pick by the Rays in 2019 and became one of their promising prospects. His 2021 season was impressive, with a 1.44 ERA and a 45% strikeout rate over 62 1/3 innings across four levels. However, Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2022 season and much of 2023. He returned to pitch 22 innings with a 1.64 ERA in the minors last season but had a high 19.5% walk rate. This year, he has walked 23.1% of batters faced between the Rays and Yankees organizations.
Andrews, 27, joined the Yankees in a minor trade with the Brewers in February. He was previously designated for assignment and cleared waivers but remained with the organization. He will now be called up to potentially make his debut for the Yankees.
Andrews, a former 17th-round pick by Milwaukee, debuted in the MLB last year, appearing in four games and allowing 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings. Despite this, he had a 2.53 ERA in 57 Triple-A innings, with a 31.1% strikeout rate. Command issues were evident with a 13% walk rate. This season, in 15 innings with Scranton, Andrews has an ERA of 6.60, with an 18.5% walk rate, a 27.7% strikeout rate, and a 54.5% ground-ball rate.
Hamilton, hopefully facing only a short-term absence, has been a key bullpen member for the Yankees over the past two seasons. Although his 2024 performance hasn’t matched his 2023 stats, he has pitched 22 2/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA. His strikeout rate has dropped from 29.9% last year to 18.8% this year, and his walk rate has slightly increased to 8.9%. Despite this, his 14.4% swinging-strike rate and 35.7% chase rate suggest a potential increase in strikeouts upon his return.
