Yankees call up Domingo Acevedo: What you need to know

by Felix Pantaleón

The Yankees called up Domingo Acevedo for the first time before a game against the Mets at Yankees Stadium on Saturday, July 21, 2018. 7/21/18

NEW YORK — The Yankees gave a tall, lanky 18-year-old out of the Dominican Republic a tiny $7,500 signing bonus in October 2012.

He’ll put on the pinstripes for the first time Saturday.

The Yankees called up hard-throwing righty prospect Domingo Acevedo before a game against the Mets at Yankee Stadium.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why he’s here: The Yankees needed someone to take the spot vacated by Domingo German, who was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following a terrible start in a 7-5 loss to the Mets on Friday. The Yankees like to have extra bullpen arms. With Luis Cessa slated to take German’s next turn in the rotation, the Yankees will turn to Acevedo for relief innings. Acevedo was scheduled to start for Double-A Trenton this weekend.

Why he’s here, part 2: Acevedo is already on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, so they didn’t have to make any moves to bring him up. Plus, part of it might be logistics. With the Double-A club in Binghamton, N.Y., Acevedo was just a three-ish-hour drive from the Bronx. The Triple-A team was in Columbus, Ohio. Getting someone to the Bronx in time from there for a 1 p.m. start might have been difficult.

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His prospect status: MLB.com ranks the 24-year-old the Yankees’ No. 7 overall prospect. He’s 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds. At Double-A, he’s 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA in 11 starts. Last year, he made a pair of Triple-A appearances.

Scouting report: Acevedo has touched 103 mph. Here’s his scouting report, via MLB.com:

” … he usually works from 93-97 mph as a starter, which is even tougher to hit because of the funkiness and angle his 6-foot-7 frame and low three-quarters arm slot create. That slot makes it tough for him to stay on top of his mid-80s slider, which may never be more than an average offering. He compensates with a plus changeup that he locates well and is effective against both left-handers and right-handers.

For an extra-large guy with a lot of velocity, Acevedo throws a surprising amount of strikes. His delivery isn’t smooth and features effort, yet he somehow makes it work and finally proved he could hold up over a full season in 2017. Some scouts aren’t convinced he’ll hold up for a starter, though he’d still have plenty of value as a high-leverage option should he become a reliever.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.

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