Yankees call up Jake Cousins in latest turn of the bullpen carousel

TORONTO – What had been an overwhelming strength for the Yankees the first two months of the season made an ugly turn in the other direction starting in early June.

And while the bullpen should receive a boost in the coming weeks with the return of Scott Effross, who started the season on the IL as he recovered from lower back surgery and whose rehab assignment recently took him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his return still can’t be categorized as being imminent.

And so the Yankees will continue to swap relievers in and out of the group, with the latest addition, righthander Jake Cousins, brought to Toronto Thursday when righthander Yoendrys Gomez -  roughed up Wednesday night at Citi Field in a 12-2 loss to the Mets -  was optioned to Scranton (Cousins, acquired March 31, pitched in two games before quickly being shuttled back to the minors).

In the last two weeks, righthander Phil Bickford and lefthander Tim Hill were among those getting a shot to bolster a unit that has mostly lost the aura of invincibility it carried into the first week of June.

It isn’t the sole reason the Yankees have been losing of late – they had lost four straight series' and nine of their last 12 games entering Thursday night – but it has been a significant contributor.

“We’ve hit a little rough patch there, too, where we’ve struggled a little bit,” Aaron Boone said Thursday. “Some turnover in trying to get guys to define some roles and stuff. Still feel very good about a few pieces that we get the ball to late with a lead and things like that. But still working through trying to carve out that pecking order, that depth, that where-is-the-right-role for everyone. That’s been a little bit of a challenge the last few weeks.”

One piece expected to be a stalwart, lefthander Caleb Ferguson, who was acquired from the Dodgers in the off-season, has not been that so far. Ferguson, though having not allowed an earned run in 18 of his previous 23 appearances dating back to April 23, has mixed in his share of clunkers nonetheless, bringing a 5.84 ERA into Thursday.

“It’s been up and down,” Boone said of Ferguson, who does have 30 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. “He’s had some really good outings, you see the swing-and-miss. He’s had some outings where he’s gotten clipped, he’s been unfortunate in a couple of outings. There’s been a lot of good in there, but there’s been some struggle along the way. Just trying to find that consistency, because he can be an important piece to our ‘pen.”

Brief rest for DJ

DJ LeMahieu, who has never gotten things going offensively since coming off the injured list (right foot fracture) May 28, did not start Thursday. Boone said that had nothing to do with the 35-year-old’s slump at the plate – LeMahieu came into the day hitting .178 with zero homers, zero doubles and a .452 OPS in 23 games – but the club arriving at their hotel about 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

“Long night last night [at Citi Field], getting in at 4:30,” Boone said. “Just being mindful of that.”

With the Blue Jays starting lefthander Yusei Kikuchi Friday, Boone said LeMahieu will be back in the lineup.