Yankees' 'work in progress' starts with Carlos Carrasco making roster

TAMPA, Fla. — Calling his team “a work in progress,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman filled in some of the blanks Saturday on the 26-man roster that will be finalized before Thursday’s season opener.

• Carlos Carrasco has won a spot and will be added to the 40-man roster. The  former Mets righthander, 38, had a 1.69 ERA in spring training and will open as the No. 4 starter.
• Clarke Schmidt, who is ramping up after a bout of shoulder fatigue, and Ian Hamilton, who battled an infection early in camp, will open the season on the injured list.
• Giancarlo Stanton (soreness in both elbows) is not doing any baseball activity but “he’s in good spirits” as he goes through rehab. Cashman said it’s “too early to tell” if the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections Stanton had have helped.
• Dom Smith, who opted out of his minor-league contract on Friday,  still is under Yankees control until Tuesday. If they don't add the former Mets first baseman to the big-league roster by then, he will become a free agent. Smith’s lefthanded-ness hurts his chances, Cashman said, because the Yankees are loaded with lefthanded hitters.
• Pablo Reyes, a 31-year-old infielder/outfielder who appeared in one game for the Mets in 2024, has caught Cashman’s eye with a strong camp as a possible righthanded hitter off the bench.
• Manager Aaron Boone informed catcher J.C. Escarra on Saturday that he has made the Opening Day roster.
• Cashman is still looking to improve the club “on the margins” via trade or as other teams let players go before Opening Day.

“Obviously, the roster changes all the time,” Cashman said. “So it's certainly a different roster this year than how it ended last year. We're learning a lot about the new guys. Had some injuries to some of the previous guys left over. So I think we have a talented team, and some of them will be left behind as they rehab. But there's been some guys that have stepped up and given us some comfort at the same time. I think we have a good team, and we look forward to testing it when we deploy it on March 27.”

The Yankees’ injury list also includes Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery, out for the season), Luis Gil (lat strain, out for at least three months), Jake Cousins (forearm strain, not pitching yet) and DJ LeMahieu (calf strain, out indefinitely).

The loss of Cole and Gil led to Carrasco earning a rotation spot. Rookie Will Warren  likely will be the No. 5 starter, but Cashman would not confirm that.

Hamilton’s absence means the Yankees have three or four bullpen openings. Cashman would not handicap the leaders in a field that includes Fernando Cruz, Yerry De los Santos, Yoendrys Gomez, Wilking Rodriguez and Brent Headrick. 

Notes & quotes: Aaron Judge hit his first homer of spring training in the Yankees' 8-7 loss to the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field . . . Paul Goldschmidt (0-for-2, walk, RBI) hit leadoff for the first time in his professional career against lefthander Jesus Luzardo in his return from a sore back. Boone said he's considering using Goldschmidt at leadoff against lefties during the season . . . To make room for Carrasco, the Yankees placed Cole on the 60-day IL.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.