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The Yankees should welcome Ryan Yarbrough back to their rotation next week.

The New York Yankees‘ much-maligned pitching staff is about to get stronger.

YES Network reported Wednesday that long-reliever/spot-starter Ryan Yarbrough completed his third and final rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre and felt no discomfort, meaning his next outing could come in the major leagues.

Yarbrough, 33, has been on the injured list since June 20 with a right-oblique strain. But the Yankees’ pitching staff has not been the same without him. New York is just 30-29 and has allowed exactly five runs per game in his absence.

The left-hander has been effective both as a starter and a reliever, going 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, plus a 49-17 strikeout-to-walk rate in 55 1/3 innings this season.

When Is Ryan Yarbrough Coming Back?

The Yankees did not make an official announcement about Yarbrough, though YES reporter Meredith Marakovits said before their 11-2 win Wednesday that Yarbrough’s minor-league assignments have been exhausted.

Yarbrough went 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings in his three outings in Triple-A. He threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs while giving up three hits, one walk and striking out six while throwing 63 pitches in the RailRiders’ 9-4 win over Syracuse on Tuesday.

Even though he has pitched both as a starter and out of relief throughout his eight-year big-league career, Yarbrough has been rehabbing as a starting pitcher and could replace Will Warren as New York’s No. 5 starter. He could also spell Warren, who has already reached his career high in single-season innings (131).

If Yarbrough did replace Warren in the rotation, the 26-year-old, who has been effective going 7-6 and with a 4.47 ERA in 21 starts, could replace Paul Blackburn as the team’s long reliever/mop-up guy. Yarbrough has also fulfilled that role at points this season and been strong, with a 0-0 record, 4.11 ERA in eight relief appearances.

The Yankees could also decide to use Yarbrough as a sixth/spot starting pitcher when rosters expand Monday, since they have just three days off the rest of the regular season.

What Is The Status Of The Yankees Pitching Staff?

New York’s pitching staff is as healthy as it has been all season, Clarke Schmidt’s Tommy John surgery notwithstanding.

But with Fernando Cruz activated off the injured list, and Yarbrough just about set to return to the rotation, things are looking up for New York’s pitching staff, especially after starter Max Fried authored his second straight stellar performance Wednesday.

Fried took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed just four hits and two walks and one run in seven innings for his AL-leading 14th win, which he shares with teammate Carlos Rodon and Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox.

That Fried has pitched like an ace — he has allowed just one run in his past 13 innings — is key for the Yankees. He and Rodon are the most pitchers to start Games 1 and of the American League Wild Card Series — presumably against Crochet and Brayan Bello of the Red Sox — and if either is struggling, New York’s playoff life could be short.

But with Fried, Rodon, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil (2-1, 3.75 ERA) and rookie Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.76 ERA), the Yankees have a highly effective Nos. 1-4 if they get past Boston — or somehow catch the Toronto Blue Jays and win the AL East.

Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens