Brendan Beck could have stopped playing long before Thursday arrived.
A second-round pick out of Stanford in 2021, he did not make his professional debut until 2023 because of Tommy John surgery.
He pitched in just 10 games that season before a follow-up elbow procedure was required, which erased his entire 2024 season, too.
The 2025 campaign became the breakthrough, when the right-hander ascended all the way to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
And Thursday was the pinnacle, when he became a major league pitcher.
Beck was called up for his moment and for a Yankees victory, contributing three-plus innings in which he allowed two runs in a 9-2 win over the Rangers in The Bronx.
“You always want it to happen, and you think it’s going to happen,” the 27-year-old from Southern California said. “When it actually does, it’s still a dream.”
The Yankees knew before Wednesday’s game that Ryan Weathers, who had been sick, would be scratched from Thursday’s start.
Beck, who had been up and down with SWB but was coming off a strong effort, was lined up to pitch Thursday.
So after an afternoon game in Worcester, Mass., on Wednesday, the Yankees told Beck to be ready depending upon the night’s events.
As it turned out, Will Warren lasted four innings, and Yerry De los Santos, who could be and would be optioned, was needed for long relief.
Thus Beck was the best choice as a bulk pitcher, and SWB manager Shelley Duncan delivered the news in a hotel lobby.
Beck packed his bag and had hopped in a car destined for New York by about 9:30 p.m.
His wife, who was in Scranton, raced to the city.
His parents, sister and brother — Tristan, who is in the Giants organization — all made red-eye flights from California to see the No. 21 Yankees prospect make his debut.
Following opener Paul Blackburn, Beck let up a lot of hard contact — his first two at-bats were a 110.9-mph lineout from Jake Burger and 108.2-mph lineout from Evan Carter — and had location issues, walking three in three innings — but navigated through the Rangers lineup 1 ¹/₂ times with some help from his defense.
“Held his own out there. Gave us a chance to win,” manager Aaron Boone said of Beck. “Walked a few guys, and some of the hard contact found gloves, which was good. But he looked in control out there. Gave us just what we needed.”
Ezequiel Duran’s home run in the third inning dented Beck, and he walked Alejandro Osuna in the fifth before Tim Hill entered and allowed Osuna to score.
But from there, Brent Headrick, Jake Bird and Camilo Doval locked down a game with which the Yankees ran away.
A game that Beck has awaited for a long time.
“I’ve been through a lot of stuff,” said Beck, who was optioned back to SWB after the game, “but I think everyone has things they have to overcome.”
José Caballero was out of the starting lineup a day after getting plunked in the left elbow, which necessitated X-rays that came back negative, but entered the game in the eighth inning.
Max Schuemann got the start at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with an RBI double, his first hit and RBI with the club.
Cody Bellinger (3-for-4, two runs, a triple and two RBIs) is slashing .394/.465/.606 with runners in scoring position this season.
Ben Rice did not play for a fourth straight game because of the left hand contusion he sustained Sunday.
Rice, who ran in the outfield before the game, has not done much baseball activity since sustaining the injury “because he hasn’t wanted to aggravate it,” Boone said.
The Yankees still do not believe he will need an IL stint.
