Yankees Part Ways with Rafael Montero

The New York Yankees have announced the release of veteran right-handed reliever Rafael Montero, according to their Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Montero, who signed a minor league contract in February, has not pitched in the majors this season.

At 36 years old, Montero's absence from the major leagues this year would mark the first time since 2018 that he has not logged any innings. His season was initially delayed due to visa issues, which prevented him from joining the Yankees' camp on time. After missing the start of the season, he pitched 27 innings for the RailRiders, recording a 5.67 ERA, influenced by a high .385 average on balls in play.

Despite the ERA, Montero has shown solid strikeout and walk rates, fanning 25.8% of batters faced while maintaining a 10.2% walk rate. His recent performance in the majors included a 4.48 ERA over 60 1/3 innings last season with the Braves, Astros, and Tigers, finishing with a strong 2.86 ERA in his last 17 outings with Detroit.