The Yankees are moving quickly with their newest bullpen addition. Joel Sherman reported that the club is planning to call up right-hander Justin Topa , only 10 days after signing him to a minor-league deal.
It is still a planned move, not an official transaction. The Yankees have not announced a corresponding roster decision, so there is room for the details to change. The speed of it is still notable. Topa barely had time to unpack in Scranton before getting this chance.
The 35-year-old threw one scoreless inning for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after signing. One inning is a tiny audition, even by late-August bullpen standards. The Yankees have evidently seen enough to consider him an option now.
May 3, 2026: Minnesota reliever Justin Topa celebrates with catcher Victor Caratini after a win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field. Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.
Topa has appeared in 172 major league games. He is not a prospect being asked to learn on the fly, and that matters when a team wants an arm it can use right away.
I will not pretend his 2026 numbers with Minnesota are pretty. Topa posted an 8.05 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in 19 innings over 23 appearances before he landed in the Yankees organization. He struck out 12 and recorded two saves, but the overall line is why he was available for a minor-league contract in the first place.
There is a reason the Yankees kept the signing quiet and gave him a short look in Triple-A. They were trying to see whether a veteran arm with a rough first half had something left. Sherman's report suggests they got an answer they liked.
Nobody should treat this as a marquee addition. It is a practical late-season call on a reliever who has pitched in the majors, came cheap and is fresh enough to give the bullpen an immediate option.
That kind of move can work. It can also amount to one short stint. Topa does not need to erase the Minnesota numbers in one outing. He needs to throw strikes, get outs and give the Yankees a usable inning when the phone rings.
The more interesting part is how quickly the Yankees are willing to make the move. A 10-day path from a minor-league signing to a possible major league call-up is not normal for a player who had struggled earlier in the season.
The expected call-up will need an official roster move before Topa can join the active club. Until that happens, Sherman's report remains a strong indicator rather than a completed transaction.
Topa has a chance to turn an unremarkable August signing into a useful Yankees story. He also arrives with no cushion. A veteran reliever called up this late in the season is here to pitch, not to wait around.
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