The New York Yankees staged a comeback Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. But in the end, they fell short and Toronto won 4-3, snapping the Yankees’ winning streak at five games.
The defeat left the Yankees just three games in front of the Boston Red Sox in the race for the top American League Wild Card position.
After the game on Saturday, the Yankees announced a roster decision with a newly acquired relief pitcher who could be called on as a bullpen reinforcement for the stretch run.
That roster move sent right-hander Eli Morgan to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a day after New York signed him to a minor league contract. Morgan’s arrival capped a turbulent August that began when the Kansas City Royals designated him for assignment on August 13.
Yankees Send Eli Morgan to Scranton
GettyNew Yankees pitcher Eli Morgan when he was with the Kansas City Royals.
Morgan cleared waivers before an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha three days later, according to MLB.com, and rather than accept the demotion, Morgan elected free agency, opening the door for the Yankees to sign him. New York now holds a second former American League Central right-hander on a minor league deal, joining Justin Topa, who signed his own contract with the club on August 14.
The 2026 season brought little consistency for Morgan at the major league level. He made 16 relief appearances for Kansas City, finishing 0-1 with a 5.12 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and nine walks across 19 1/3 innings. Triple-A hitters saw a different pitcher, as Morgan posted a 1.40 ERA over 25 2/3 innings at Omaha with an elevated strikeout rate, according to MLB Trade Rumors, even as his fastball velocity settled around 91 mph.
A Career Built on a Plus Changeup
The Cleveland Guardians drafted Morgan in the eighth round out of Gonzaga in 2017, and he debuted for the organization on May 28, 2021, before shifting from starter to reliever. His changeup developed into a plus offering during his minor league climb, according to Baseball America, and across parts of six major league seasons he has posted an 18-14 record with a 4.25 ERA and 282 strikeouts over 292 innings.
Cleveland traded Morgan to the Chicago Cubs after the 2024 season for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario. A right elbow and shoulder impingement limited him to seven games with Chicago in 2025, and the Cubs non-tendered him once the season ended. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake was still with Cleveland’s front office when the Guardians drafted Morgan back in 2017, according to the New York Daily News, giving the staff prior familiarity with the right-hander as New York looks for bullpen answers down the stretch.
Yankees Rally Falls Short Against Blue Jays
Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday before Jazz Chisholm broke it up and Austin Wells followed with an RBI single. But Toronto held on despite a late Yankees push. Cease finished with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run for the win.
New York starter Ryan Weathers took the loss after allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings before leaving the game with forearm discomfort, and Toronto tacked on a Nathan Lukes solo home run in the eighth before Louie Varland closed it out for the save. Luis García answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to pull the Yankees within one, but Varland retired the side in the ninth to preserve the 4-3 final.
Yankees Announce Decision on 30-Year-Old Reliever Before Blue Jays Finale