The Yankees have signed right-hander Bruce Billings to a Major League contract and selected him to their 25-man roster. The club announced the signing prior to yesterday’s game against Boston. Billings is represented by John Boggs & Associates.
Billings’ spot on the 25-man roster was created when Ivan Nova was shifted to the 60-day disabled list, as he will miss the rest of the 2014 season after choosing to undergo Tommy John surgery. In other corresponding moves, the Yankees also called up righty Shane Greene while infielder Dean Anna and right-hander Preston Claiborne were optioned to Triple-A.
Billings was part of the trade package Colorado sent to Oakland for Mark Ellis in July 2011, and the 28-year-old made all four of his career Major League appearances in that same season (three with the A’s and one with the Rockies). Since that cup of coffee in the bigs, Billings spent 2012-13 working primarily as a starter for the Athletics’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates and he signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in January. He has a 2.74 ERA, 2.57 K/BB rate and 18 strikeouts over 23 innings (four starts) at the Triple-A level this season.
