The Yankees reliever told NJ.com he was “a little worried” after a flood of text messages came pouring in from friends asking what had happened. They said they had read the Yankees cut him. He saw it, too.

Reports began circulating early in the afternoon that the Yankees had released Hale from his contract. However, Hale says “it was just a paperwork thing” and the Yankees had to change the language in his contract.

The timing issue cropped up because MLB’s spring training went on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hale had an opt-out he could exercise days before the end of spring training, the site reports, and according to the pitcher’s agent it was on the team to update the language given the evolving situation.

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“The Yankees were very classy about it and I think it was the fair thing to do,” Hale said. “When those opt-outs came along, they were kind of pointless, with how spring training was canceled. Obviously, no one was going to use their opt-out. It was a pointless thing. So they were classy about it.”

Hale, who said he’s been working out at his home in Georgia, is a possibility to make the Opening Day roster as a long-man out of the bullpen. Given that teams could be given extra roster spots to accomodate the challenges of an abbreviated, tightly-packed schedule, Hale’s role could grow in importance.

Especially now that he is back on the Yankees.