Quartet of Injured Yankees Pitchers Making Progress
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Four injured Yankees pitchers are taking steps toward returning.
Per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, pitching coach Matt Blake provided encouraging updates on a quartet that could reinforce New York’s bullpen. For one, Domingo Germán will pitch for Single-A Tampa on Wednesday. Germán, who has been recovering from right shoulder impingement syndrome, has yet to pitch in a professional game this season.
Germán made 18 starts for the Yankees in 2021 and recorded a 4.58 ERA over 22 total games. Should the right-hander make it back to the major league roster, Germán will most likely pitch in relief unless a member of New York’s stellar rotation hits the injured list.
Meanwhile, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman will throw at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa on Tuesday. Like Germán, Britton has yet to pitch this season, as he’s been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September. The hope is that the southpaw can return before the end of the season.
Chapman, meanwhile, is expected back much sooner after landing on the injured list with left Achilles tendinitis on May 24. Prior to being sidelined, Chapman pitched through the injury. That decision coincided with a string of poor performances, as he allowed at least one earned run in his final five appearances before hitting the I.L. The lefty’s struggles and absence paved the way for Clay Holmes to take over as New York’s closer, a role Holmes has thrived in but may spend less time in once Chapman returns.
Finally, Jonathan Loáisiga played catch from 110 feet at Tropicana Field, where the Yankees are playing the Rays, on Monday. The righty has been out since May 25 with right shoulder inflammation. A breakout bullpen star in 2021, Loáisiga struggled before the injury, posting a 7.02 ERA over 16.2 innings.
In addition to the injury updates, RHP Ryan Weber elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment. Weber made one relief appearance for the Yankees on June 16, tossing 3.2 innings of one-run ball against Tampa Bay. He was needed after Luis Severino was placed on the COVID-19 I.L. Despite the strong outing, the veteran Weber was designated for assignment after the game, as expected.
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