**Yankees Place Carlos Carrasco on Outright Waivers**

The New York Yankees have placed right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco on outright waivers, as reported by Joel Sherman of The New York Post. Despite Carrasco remaining on the roster for now, this move indicates a likely change, especially with right-hander Fernando Cruz expected to return from the injured list on Tuesday. The Yankees, having an off day today, might make Carrasco the corresponding move for Cruz's activation.

Carrasco's addition to the Yankees' roster came just yesterday due to their heavily utilized pitching staff in recent games. Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, the Yankees' bullpen was taxed considerably. On Friday, five pitchers were deployed in an 8-5 loss, followed by a Saturday game where starter Will Warren lasted only 1.1 innings in an 18-2 defeat, forcing the use of seven additional pitchers. Utility player Pablo Reyes was among those who pitched, highlighting the extent of the bullpen's fatigue.

Carrasco was brought in as a fresh arm before Sunday's game, which fortunately did not become another bullpen-draining affair. Ryan Yarbrough pitched six solid innings in a 7-3 victory, followed by Jonathan Loáisiga and Devin Williams for the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Tim Hill closed out the ninth inning due to Luke Weaver's hamstring discomfort, bypassing the need for Carrasco's services.

Despite being with the Yankees earlier this year and pitching 32 innings with a 5.91 ERA in a swing role, Carrasco had been bumped off the roster and cleared waivers previously. He accepted an assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he made two starts, one of which was particularly rough, allowing five earned runs in less than two innings.

Given his recent performance and the fact that he cleared waivers just a month ago, it appears unlikely that another team will claim Carrasco. However, teams that have recently faced a slew of injuries might consider him more appealing now. If unclaimed, Carrasco has the service time to elect free agency, but based on his previous decision to remain with the RailRiders, he might choose that path again.