CLEVELAND — It had been almost 21 months since Cody Poteet last stepped foot on a big league mound before Saturday.
But the Yankees right-hander certainly looked the part.
Called up from Triple-A as the 27th man to make a spot start in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader, Poteet delivered six sharp innings of one-run ball in an 8-2 win over the Guardians that completed a sweep at Progressive Field.
Cody Poteet allowed just one run in six innings in the Yankees’ 8-2 Game 2 win over the Guardians. Getty Images “Just being back out there on a major league field, it’s such a privilege and not a guarantee,” said Poteet, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2022. “Just very thankful to be able to be out there tonight.”
Working on a pitch count of 80, Poteet made the most of his outing, using 77 pitches to record 18 outs and help preserve the Yankees’ bullpen in the second game of a doubleheader.
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He struck out four, walked none and only allowed a solo home run to ex-Yankee Estevan Florial.
“To go six in the second game of a doubleheader, huge outing,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He pitched. That’s what we know we got. He did a great job mixing the two-seam/four-seam [fastballs] and then with the changeup and secondary stuff to get off the barrel. Really strong effort by him.”
Signed by the Yankees in January to help bolster their starting depth after losing much of it in the Juan Soto trade, Poteet flashed his potential in spring training before beginning the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
But he got word early Friday afternoon that the Yankees needed him for Saturday’s nightcap, and he arrived in Cleveland around midnight with a mix of excitement and nerves ahead of returning to a big league mound.
“I always had the belief in myself that I was a major league starting pitcher,” Poteet said. “Just [went] out there tonight and put a good foot forward. It’s a good step forward for the rest of the year. Just thankful for the opportunity.”
Luis Gil was available out of the bullpen for Saturday’s doubleheader — either for length or a big inning — though the Yankees did not need him.
The right-hander was initially scheduled to start Saturday, but after Friday’s game was postponed to set up a twin bill Saturday, the Yankees opted to call up Cody Poteet to start Game 2 and will start Nestor Cortes on Sunday.
Because he did not pitch Saturday, Gil will start Monday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto, with Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman following on extra rest.
The Yankees made a flurry of roster moves between games of the doubleheader, mostly necessitated by Jon Berti going on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain. They selected the contract of infielder Kevin Smith from Triple-A to replace Berti on the active roster, but to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Smith, they designated lefty reliever Josh Maciejewski for assignment.
To fill Maciejewski’s spot in the bullpen, the Yankees recalled reliever Ron Marinaccio, who pitched the ninth inning of the nightcap and gave up a solo home run to Josh Naylor.
The Yankees also reinstated reliever McKinley Moore from the IL and optioned him to Triple-A and outrighted reliever Clayton Andrews to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Gerrit Cole (elbow nerve inflammation) played catch for a second time Thursday in The Bronx and it went well, Boone said.
The Yankees ace is expected to throw again this weekend.
Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday in Tampa that “sounds like it went well,” Boone said.
Top prospect Spencer Jones made his season debut at Double-A Somerset on Saturday after missing the first week with a stiff neck.
