Four Yankees prospects who could help the team down the stretch

The Yankees have struggled of late, and with the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, general manager Brian Cashman will be looking to improve the roster.

The Yankees could have reinforcements waiting in the minor leagues, or they could use them as trade pieces. Here are four prospects who could help the team down the stretch if they aren’t dealt:

Carlos Lagrange

Lagrange was moved from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s rotation to the bullpen in June with the idea that he would contribute to the Yankees’ bullpen later this season. However, on July 2, the 6-7 righthander was placed on the seven-day Triple-A injured list. The Yankees later said he wouldn’t throw for approximately six weeks because of a capsular sprain in his right shoulder.

Lagrange, 23, had a 4.55 ERA in 18 appearances (11 starts) before landing on the IL. His 29.5 K% is the second-best among International League pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched. Originally signed as an international free agent in 2022, Lagrange was 11-8 with a 3.53 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 120 innings in 24 appearances (23 starts) between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset last year.

Lagrange was selected to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game roster and rated as New York’s No. 4 and MLB’s No. 83 prospect by MLB Pipeline. His fastball routinely surpasses 100 mph and has topped out at 103 mph. On a 20-to-80 scale, MLB Pipeline rates his slider a 60, giving him two plus pitches alongside a 70 fastball.

While the Yankees likely envisioned Lagrange earning a call-up at some point this summer, his injury complicates that timeline. If all goes according to plan, he will be sidelined until late August at the earliest. He also would have to be added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster before Sept. 1 to be postseason-eligible.

Elmer Rodriguez

Rodriguez is the highest-rated Yankees prospect to already have made his MLB debut. The 22-year-old righthander has pitched 17 innings for the Yankees in four starts this season, failing to reach five innings each time and registering a 4.76 ERA. Rodriguez was sent down to Triple-A after his most recent start on June 21.

Rated the Yankees’ No. 3 and MLB’s No. 76 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Rodríguez rose from High-A to Triple-A in 2025, ranking second in the minor leagues in strikeouts (176), fifth in innings (150) and eighth in ERA (2.58) and opponents’ batting average (.192). Rodríguez, whom the Yankees acquired in a trade that sent Carlos Narvaez to the Red Sox in December 2024, has a 2.93 ERA in 12 starts in Triple-A this season.

Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are the Yankees’ four starters on the active roster, with Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt on the IL. The Yankees called up prospect Brendan Beck to start on July 4, but he was rocked for five runs in 3 2⁄3 innings before being demoted to Triple-A.

At least until the rotation returns to full strength, Rodriguez could have more opportunities to earn fill-in starts. Depending on how those performances go, he could establish himself as part of the rotation or earn opportunities to contribute as a reliever.

George Lombard Jr.

Like Lagrange, Lombard was selected for the 2026 All-Star Futures Game roster and is on the Triple-A seven-day IL. Lombard, rated the Yankees’ No. 1 and MLB’s No. 20 prospect by MLB Pipeline, sprained a couple of fingers on his left hand and was placed on the IL on June 18. There is no timetable currently provided for his return.

The 21-year-old began the year with Double-A Somerset and posted an impressive .312/.400/.571 slash line in 20 games before earning a promotion. In the 42 games Lombard played for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he saw a dip in his batting average (.231) and slugging percentage (.385), but a 17.8 walk percentage helped him boast a .381 on-base percentage.

A 2023 first-round pick out of Gulliver Prep School in Miami, the 6-2, 190-pound infielder is primarily a shortstop but also has played second and third base in the minor leagues. As it stands, the three big-league positions are mostly occupied by some combination of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jose Caballero, Anthony Volpe, Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario.

Among those players, Rosario — who is mostly used against lefthanded pitching — is the only one with an above-league-average weighted runs created plus. Depending on how the group performs and whether injuries arise, the Yankees could turn to Lombard to provide a spark in their lineup, though 2027 remains the more likely timeline.

For Lombard to be eligible for the postseason roster, the Yankees would need to add him to the 40-man roster before Sept. 1.

Brendan Beck

Before his first MLB start on July 4, Beck made his debut as the “bulk guy” when the Yankees utilized a bullpen game on May 7, and he surrendered two earned runs in three innings. Beck hasn’t made any other appearances with the Yankees, but his 3.07 ERA and 91 strikeouts lead qualified pitchers in the International League.

Beck, ranked as the Yankees’ No. 21 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was selected in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Stanford. He didn’t debut in the minor leagues until 2023 because of Tommy John surgery.

After pitching 34 minor-league innings in 2023, Beck was sidelined in 2024 after a follow-up elbow procedure. Across Double-A and Triple-A in his first full professional season, Beck pitched 131 1⁄3 innings with a 3.36 ERA in 2025.

Like Rodriguez, Beck could have more opportunities to earn fill-in starts or eat innings out of the bullpen, depending on what the Yankees need. Beck is an older prospect at 27 and doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but his control and command could make him an asset.