The New York Yankees have added Triple-A reliever Bradley Hanner to their 40-man roster, a move that nullifies an opt-out clause in his contract and keeps the 27-year-old right-hander within the organization.
Hanner, who has posted a 1.99 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, was immediately optioned back to the minor league club. He remains with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he has a 1.156 WHIP and has often pitched in multi-inning stints.
A career minor leaguer in his seventh season, Hanner signed with the Yankees as a minor league free agent in December after playing in Cleveland's system. He is a four-pitch reliever who utilizes a sweeper to generate swings and misses, though he does not throw exceptionally hard.
The Yankees are reportedly looking to upgrade their bullpen via the trade deadline, and Hanner's addition provides another organizational option. Other relievers on the 40-man roster and pitching for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre include Yovanny Cruz, Kervin Castro, and Yerry De los Santos.
In other team news, pitcher Max Fried, who is rehabbing from an elbow bone bruise, made his first rehab start with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Manager Aaron Boone reported that Fried "looked really good" and felt well after throwing 52 pitches over three innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Fried is scheduled to pitch again in five days as he returns to a starter's routine. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton, dealing with a calf strain, is "doing some running" but has not yet progressed to running the bases. Boone indicated that Stanton is "getting close" to a return, but the outfielder has already experienced a setback and has not played since April 24.