Yankees recall Angel Chivilli from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to bolster bullpen

The Yankees needed a steadier bullpen arm and reached into Scranton for one that had been getting sharper by the outing. Angel Chivilli was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 15, 2026, and he replaced Yerry De los Santos on the active roster as New York tried to steady a relief corps that had looked inconsistent in recent games.

That move says a lot about what the Yankees think Chivilli can become. New York acquired the 23-year-old right-hander from the Rockies on January 28 in exchange for minor league first baseman T.J. Rumfield, and Brian Cashman described him as a “23-year-old power arm” with a “tremendous fastball, changeup and slider” and an option remaining. The bet was always on the stuff, especially after Chivilli posted a 43.5 percent whiff rate on offspeed and breaking pitches in 2025 despite a 7.06 ERA with Colorado, a line the Yankees believed could play better away from Coors Field.

The Triple-A results gave the promotion real footing. Before the call-up, Chivilli had thrown 8.1 scoreless innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2026, allowing just two walks while striking out nine and posting a 0.48 WHIP. That is a very different read from his spring training, when a 12.38 ERA kept him from breaking camp with the big club. The Yankees did not forget the broader track record either: Chivilli made his MLB debut on June 3, 2024, and entered the recall with 73 career major league appearances, a 6.18 ERA, 90.1 innings, 71 strikeouts and 33 walks.

The Scranton consequence is just as important as the Bronx upgrade. Yerry De los Santos now drops into the RailRiders bullpen, giving manager Shelley Duncan another experienced arm, while Kervin Castro looks like the likeliest reliever to inherit the heaviest late-inning work after Chivilli’s departure. Castro already had two saves in 7.1 Triple-A innings this season, and Jake Bird remains another candidate to absorb the bridge innings that Chivilli had been handling. One promotion in New York can reshape the leverage map in Moosic almost overnight.