TAMPA BAY, Fla. – After a four-year stint at the minor league level, Ryan Yarbrough is getting his shot at the next level. Prior to Sunday’s spring training game against the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays informed the former Old Dominion pitcher that he had made the Opening Day roster.
Ryan Yarbrough Pitches (Courtesy: Tampa Bay Rays)
Currently, the Rays have 27 players on the roster, and will only be allowed to carry 25 on Opening Day per league rules. Yarbrough spent last season with the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rays.
“Telling them they made the team is probably one of the best conversations you can have,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I thought the way those guys pitched, Yarbrough and Chirinos, both coming off starter innings, starter workload — that’s going to provide some coverage for us.
In 26 appearances, Yarbrough 13-and-6 record with a 3.43 ERA. He also tallied a career-high 159 strikeouts in 157 innings of work.
After transferring from Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, Yarbrough struck out 124 batters in 168 innings of workas a Monarch (2013-14).
The Rays open their season up on March 29th against the Red Sox.
