NEW YORK — After 9-2 victory over the Rangers, the Yankees sent Brendan Beck down to Triple-A. They called right-hander Kervin Castro from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the new bullpen help.
No buzz. No headlines. Just a 27-year-old reliever who has been waiting years for another shot in a major league bullpen.
His story is worth knowing.
A catcher from Venezuela who became a pitcher
Castro was born on Feb. 7, 1999, in Maracay, Venezuela. The San Francisco Giants signed him as an international free agent in 2015. He was 16 years old, years before the Yankees would ever know his name. The signing bonus was $100,000.
What made him unusual from the start was his background. Castro was originally a catcher. He converted to pitching shortly after signing with the Giants organization. His arm responded immediately. By his second bullpen session, he was already sitting at 88 mph.
He advanced steadily through the Giants’ system, building the arm that would eventually attract Yankees scouts. At Low-A Salem-Keizer, he earned a Northwest League All-Star selection, going 5-3 with a 2.66 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. The raw stuff was always present. Consistency was the challenge that followed him to each new level.
A brief Giants career and a claim that changed direction
Castro made his MLB debut on Sept. 7, 2021, with San Francisco. He appeared in 20 major league games with the Giants across two seasons. The Chicago Cubs claimed him off waivers in August 2022. Across 25.2 innings, he posted a 4.91 ERA and allowed 15 earned runs. The talent was visible. The results were not reliable enough to hold a roster spot.
After the Cubs released him, Castro signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees were not yet in the picture. He pitched 15.2 innings at Triple-A Toledo, recording a 2.30 ERA in 10 appearances. Then in June 2023, he underwent right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery. Tommy John. Detroit released him. That November he signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros. The deal kept his Yankees career hopes alive while his elbow healed.
The Rule 5 pick that landed him in the Bronx
The turning point came in December 2023. The Yankees selected Castro from the Astros in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The move generated almost no coverage at the time. In hindsight, it looks like disciplined organizational work. The Yankees, under pitching coach Matt Blake, have built a consistent track record. They find and develop relievers that other clubs let slip away.
Castro missed all of 2024 finishing his Tommy John recovery. When he returned in 2025 with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he looked like a rebuilt pitcher. In 35 relief appearances, he went 5-1 with four saves and a 1.53 ERA across 47 innings. He struck out 52 batters against 22 walks. That 27.4% strikeout rate ranked among the most efficient in the RailRiders’ bullpen all season. The Yankees took notice. That November, they added Castro to the 40-man roster to protect him from minor league free agency.
Why the Yankees needed him Thursday
The call-up was driven by immediate roster math. Paul Blackburn opened Thursday’s game against Texas as a Yankees opener. Brendan Beck followed in relief, pitching three innings but walking three batters and allowing two earned runs on 52 pitches. Beck was optioned back to Scranton afterward to stay stretched as a potential starter. Tim Hill handled the bridge work during a sixth-inning rally that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 9-2 win.
With Beck gone and the Yankees heading into Milwaukee for a weekend series against the Brewers, the bullpen needed a fresh arm. Castro was the answer.
Through 14.1 innings at Scranton to open 2026, he has posted a 3.14 ERA with 10 strikeouts. He is not a high-leverage weapon by reputation. Analysts have noted that Yovanny Cruz at Triple-A may be a stronger long-term Yankees bullpen addition. Cruz has posted a 1.23 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14.2 innings this season. But for a first-place Yankees club riding six straight series wins, a reliable right-hander is a useful option.
One who throws strikes and has absorbed real adversity without folding is even more so. He fills innings. He does not give the game away.
Castro is 27 years old. He converted from catcher to pitcher at 16. He survived Tommy John surgery. He was released twice. He was picked up in a draft round that rarely makes news. He spent two years in Triple-A proving he belonged.
The Yankees called his number Thursday. That is what the long wait was for.
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