The New York Yankees welcomed home a familiar face to begin the week, as changes to Devin Williams’ family life necessitated a trip to the paternity list for the second series of the season, a home tilt with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In order to add depth at the last second, they turned to Adam Ottavino, recently cut free by the Boston Red Sox, and someone who clearly seemed like a target from the moment he hit the market.
Otto’s career may be coming to a close in the not-so-distant future, but he was rewarded with an additional stint with his hometown team; the Brooklyn native showed off his snapdragon slider in two shutout appearances, totaling an inning and a third spread across Monday and Wednesday (leading to one win and a difficult late loss).
Unfortunately, Friday marked the end of Ottavino’s audition for the rest of the league; Williams rejoined the team, as expected, in Pittsburgh, and Otto was DFA’d while still sporting a 0.00 ERA.
Prior to today’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Reinstated RHP Devin Williams (#38) from the paternity list.
•Designated RHP Adam Ottavino for assignment.
Prior to today’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Reinstated RHP Devin Williams (#38) from the paternity list.
•Designated RHP Adam Ottavino for assignment.— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 4, 2025
Yankees DFA Adam Ottavino after brief cameo replacing Devin Williams
Was Ottavino effective? He certainly kept the powerful Diamondbacks offense at bay more efficiently than Ryan Yarbrough, the Yankees’ other last-minute addition. Staked to a 9-3 lead in the seventh inning on Thursday night, Yarbrough, the left-hander known for a baseline of steadiness lost the plate entirely, then surrendered what D-Backs announcers called the “first” right-handed home run of Geraldo Perdomo’s career, a grand slam.
Clearly, though, the Yankees prize his deception and length, and have opted to keep him alongside Brent Headrick (another lefty) in the bullpen for the time being. Of course, they’ll need another demotion when Ian Hamilton returns, and quite possibly Tyler Matzek as well, as he works his way back from an oblique tweak. This will not be the final time the Yankees’ bullpen shifts this season, and Ottavino was quite clearly the last man in (and the requisite first man out).
Though his tenure ended swiftly out of necessity, we wish Ottavino the best, and thank him for effectively filling in on short notice. He always looked better in this uniform than he did in Mets or Sox colors anyway. The spirit of Babe Ruth was shining upon him this week for certain.
