The New York Yankees made a pair of roster moves on Tuesday, recalling right-handed reliever Bradley Hanner from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for his major league debut while placing fellow right-hander Kervin Castro on the 15-day injured list with right elbow neuritis. The IL placement for Castro is retroactive to Aug. 10.
Hanner, 27, will get his first taste of the big leagues after a strong campaign in the minors. The Virginia native has posted a 2.10 ERA with 61 strikeouts over 51 1/3 innings for the RailRiders this season, establishing himself as one of the more effective relievers at the Triple-A level.
His strikeout rate sits near 29 percent, and he has limited damage while working primarily in multi-inning relief roles.
A 21st-round selection by the Minnesota Twins in the 2019 draft out of Patrick & Henry Community College, Hanner spent time in the Cleveland Guardians organization before signing a minor league deal with the Yankees in December 2025.
He triggered an opt-out clause in his contract after the All-Star break, prompting the Yankees to select his contract and add him to the 40-man roster in mid-July. The club immediately optioned him back to Scranton, preserving his services while he continued to dominate at the highest minor league level.
The promotion comes as the Yankees open a series against the Seattle Mariners. Manager Aaron Boone will now have the 6-foot-4 right-hander available out of the bullpen.
Hanner relies on a mix of pitches that includes a four-seam fastball sitting in the low-to-mid 90s, a sinker, a cutter, and a sweeper that has generated high swing-and-miss rates.
While his walk rate has been higher than ideal throughout his career, his ability to miss bats and keep the ball in the park made him an appealing depth option for a Yankees bullpen that has performed well overall but carries a heavy workload.
Castro, also 27, had been a solid contributor in limited action since his most recent recall on August 3. In five appearances this season with New York, he posted a 1.42 ERA over 6 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. The right elbow issue ends his latest stint with the club after he threw a perfect inning in his most recent outing against the Atlanta Braves.
The corresponding moves keep the Yankees’ bullpen depth intact as the season heads into its final stretch. Hanner becomes the latest example of a late-round draft pick and minor league free agent finding a path to the majors through consistent performance.
For a player who has spent seven professional seasons climbing through the system, the call to the Bronx represents the culmination of years of persistence.
When Boone signals for him, Hanner will take the mound for the first time in a Yankees uniform, completing a long journey that began as a 21st-round selection and wound through multiple organizations before arriving at this moment.
