WBC Update: Yankees' Tim Hill to Replace Ryan Yarbrough on Team USA Roster

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Sidewinding reliever Tim Hill will replace his Yankees teammate, Ryan Yarbrough, on Team USA’s roster for the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals.

Yarbrough is returning to spring training to increase his workload as the regular season nears. He allowed a two-run home run to Italy’s Jac Caglianone in Tuesday’s upset loss.

Now that the WBC is single elimination, Hill’s main job (if he makes an appearance) is to be a lefty specialist who generates ground balls. The United States will face Canada on Friday night in Houston, and Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor and Marlins outfield prospect Owen Caissie are arguably the two best left-handed bats in the lineup.

Hill held left-handed hitters to a .181 batting average and .444 OPS in 127 at-bats in 2025. He’s yet to allow a run or walk a batter in 5.1 innings this spring.

In Other News: Aaron Judge struck out with the tying run on base in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s matchup against Italy. So far, he’s 4-for-16 at the plate with a pair of homers for the United States. In his first trip to the plate in WBC competition, he launched a 405-foot, two-run dinger against Brazil.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Great Britain) and Jose Caballero (Panama) are back in Yankees camp after their respective teams could not advance past pool play of the WBC.

Before the tournament started, Chisholm was quoted as saying that Great Britain was going to “shock the world” and impress people, but his squad finished 1-3. Panama also finished 1-3 but finished last in Pool A, losing to Colombia in its final game. WBC regulations require them to requalify the next time the tourney comes around.

Image Credit: Ryan Yarbrough #44 of Team United States reacts after pitching against Team Italy in the fourth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

More to come!