5 Michael Pineda replacement options for Yankees

With the potential loss of Michael Pineda, the Yankees find themselves in the unexpected position of having to retool their rotation on the run.

With the news that starting pitcher Michael Pineda is facing an extended period of action due to a torn UCL, the New York Yankees are now facing a crossroads in their promising season. While Pineda will seek a second opinion regarding his elbow, but Tommy John surgery has already been recommended.

Regardless of the outcome, it is safe to say that the Yankees’ plan for approaching the upcoming trade deadline could be drastically altered. And while no time is a good time to lose one of your most vital arms, the injury does come ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, which provides general manager Brian Cashman with a time window to assess his next steps.

Is there an internal option that can be called upon to fill in? Or could an injury of this magnitude force Cashman’s hand to make an addition outside of the organization? The Yankee GM has said that the team — which currently sits 3.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East — will be ‘careful buyers’, which leads one to think that a blockbuster deal may not be in the cards. However, could the promise of this pennant chase for an organization that has not advanced past the Wild Card game in any of the last three seasons, could potentially make them more aggressive than planned as well?

Here is a look at five options that could be in play to replace Pineda in the Yankee rotation for the stretch run.

5) Chance Adams

The time could be nearing for Adams to get the call to the majors, as a topper for a step-up season throughout the Yankee system. After making easy work of the Double-A level, posting a 1.03 ERA over six starts for the Trenton Thunder, the 22-year-old righty continued to excel at the Triple-A ranks as well, posting a 6-3 record along with a 2.50 ERA and averaging 10 strikeouts per nine innings for Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Expectations were set for Adams to potentially see action in the Bronx this year entering the season, and his performance has fortified those beliefs. He would be an easy plugin option with plenty of upside, due to a polished three-pitch arsenal that has been bolstered by an improved change up. As with betting the house on any young arm, the chance that he does initially struggle in first taste of the majors could make laying this type of responsibility on a first-time promotion a riskier route than the competing Yankees want to take on. But for a team that has been better at adding young talent throughout its system than shipping it out in recent years, giving Adams a shot could be the best shot at staying the course they have been following, and not giving up too much to bring on an unexpected addition.