The Yankees have designated right-hander Bruce Billings for assignment, tweets MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. The move clears a 40-man roster spot for Chase Whitley, who will start for the Yanks today.
The 28-year-old Billings pitched four innings for the Yankees this season, surrendering four runs with seven strikeouts and one walk in that time. It was the first taste of big league action for Billings since 2011, when he split time between the Rockies and Athletics. In 381 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, Billings has a 4.13 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
Whitley, 24, has a career 3.05 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 174 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Despite strong numbers in the minors, however, the former 15th-round pick hasn’t ranked among the club’s Top 30 prospects (per Baseball America) in either of the past two offseasons.
