In one other blow to the Yankees’ bullpen, Mark Leiter Jr. goes to overlook a while.
The suitable-handed reliever landed on the 15-day injured record on Tuesday with a stress fracture in his left leg.
Leiter mentioned he suffered the break to his fibular head whereas protecting first base on an Elly De La Cruz infield single within the eleventh inning of a June 24 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
“I felt a little pop,” Leiter mentioned earlier than Tuesday’s collection opener in opposition to the Seattle Mariners within the Bronx. “We thought it was my calf, because it was responding as a calf.”
Leiter’s timeline to return stays undetermined, with supervisor Aaron Boone saying the reliever could be additional examined on Tuesday evening.
“It’s a bone, so the bone has to heal,” Leiter mentioned. “Whatever that looks like, I’m not really sure yet.”
The Yankees known as up right-hander Clayton Beeter to exchange Leiter on the roster.
Leiter went six days between outings after struggling the fracture, however he had since pitched by way of it, most just lately recording two outs in Sunday’s 6-4 win over the Mets at Citi Discipline.
He felt he was making progress till the harm flared up whereas he warmed up throughout Saturday’s sport in Queens.
Sunday’s look — throughout which Leiter hit a batter and issued a stroll with out permitting a run — marked the primary time he felt compromised by the fracture, he mentioned.
“I didn’t really feel like myself,” Leiter mentioned. “I didn’t feel like I could get to what I wanted to be able to get to. Training staff stepped in and said, ‘Let’s make sure we take a look at it and not push it any further.’”
Leiter, 34, pitched to a 3.48 ERA over his first 36 appearances, typically in high-leverage spots, however had surrendered 5 runs in his final 4 outings, starting with the sport he received damage.
General, he’s 4-6 with a 4.46 ERA with two saves and 11 holds.
“Hopefully, this is something that we can get hammered out and get him back to throwing as well as he was the first couple of months of the season,” Boone mentioned.
Leiter is the newest Yankees reliever to go down, becoming a member of Fernando Cruz (indirect pressure) and Yerry De los Santos (elbow discomfort) on the 15-day IL. Luke Weaver missed almost three weeks final month with a hamstring pressure, whereas Jake Cousins suffered a season-ending elbow harm.
Coming into Tuesday, the Yankees’ bullpen had pitched to a 4.84 ERA over the earlier 23 video games, a stretch wherein the crew went 7-16.
Within the first 67 video games of the season, the Yankees’ bullpen recorded a 3.78 ERA.
“It’s been a rough stretch, obviously, especially with the amount of games, and pitching guys in a lot of games,” Boone mentioned. “You’re leaning on leverage guys, and Mark’s a guy we’ve leaned on a lot in the first half. That’s probably caught up to us a little bit.”
Boone added of the accidents, “It shortens you a little bit, so it makes it a challenge, but it also creates an opportunity for someone that not everyone’s counting on or expecting, necessarily, to step up and secure and grab a role and make real contributions.”
GIL TO THE HILL
A plan is in place for Luis Gil (lat pressure) to start a rehab project.
The suitable-handed starter was scheduled to throw a dwell bullpen session in Somerset on Tuesday in a remaining step earlier than he begins pitching in minor-league video games.
“Assuming we’re fine there, he’ll start his rehab on Sunday and probably be in that three [inning] and 50 [pitch] scenario,” Boone mentioned.
Boone mentioned he thought Gil’s first begin would include Double-A Somerset however was not sure.
Gil, 27, has been out since spring coaching, when he was identified with a high-grade lat pressure.
The return of Gil would fortify a Yankees rotation that’s with out ace Gerrit Cole, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgical procedure in March, and Clarke Schmidt, whom Boone mentioned over the weekend probably wants Tommy John surgical procedure as properly.
Gil gained American League Rookie of the Yr final season after going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings.
After throwing his first dwell bullpen session final month, Gil mentioned he was “very eager” to get again.
“From the moment you go through an injury like this, immediately you want to get back on the field,” Gil mentioned by way of an interpreter. “It’s about competing, helping your team and being out there with those guys.”
