NEW YORK – Every manager dreams of that time and place in the season that’s injury-free, full of winning streaks, devoid of problems. The Yankees aren’t entirely without issues, but they’re awfully close. And one area of concern – the bullpen – is inching closer to a state of perfection.
Aaron Boone will soon have Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Loaisiga and Domingo German fully healthy and ready to be activated. No need to overstate the obvious: the three relievers would give the Yankees a nearly-untouchable late inning presence.
That’s quite a boost for a team that already has the major leagues’ best record and is off to MLB’s third-best 70-game start in the last 90 years.
No wonder Boone was in an upbeat mood before Saturday’s game with the Astros. He broke down the progress reports for the three rehabbing pitchers. Good news on all fronts.
Chapman, who’s been battling left Achilles tendinitis since May 24, will make his second appearance for Class-AA Somerset on Sunday. Assuming he throws well and feels he’s ready to progress, Chapman will come off the Injured List this week. And, even more significantly, he’ll return to his duties as the closer.
Sort of.
Boone has been vague about how he’ll divide the workload between Chapman and Clay Holmes, who the manager freely calls, “the best closer in the game.” For now, it appears Boone will use the two interchangeably and let the hierarchy play out on its own.
Meanwhile, Loaisiga, who’s been sidelined with shoulder inflammation since May 25, tossed his first bullpen session Saturday morning. Boone said the right-hander looked “great” and envisions a few more sessions before advancing to live batting practice. Without any setbacks Loaisiga will begin a minor league rehab assignment, most likely within 7-10 days.
Add in German, who suffered a shoulder impingement in spring training, and Boone will have plenty of flexibility. Even with stand-ins like Miguel Castro, Ron Marinaccio and the recently-added Albert Abreu, the Yankees’ bullpen is second in the majors with a 2.85 ERA and 25 saves.
And don’t forget the Yankees are still anticipating the return of Zack Britton, whose progress from Tommy John surgery has been conservative but steady. It’s anticipated the lefthander, who will handle the eighth inning when he’s finally cleared, should be back by August.
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Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com.
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