June 3: Weaver is now officially on the IL, per a club announcement. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco has also been designated for assignment. It was reported yesterday that he had been placed on waivers. To replace those two, righty Fernando Cruz has been reinstated from the IL and righty Yerry De Los Santos has been recalled. The club also reinstated infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the IL with fellow infielder Jorbit Vivas optioned down to the minors.
June 2: The Yankees expect to place closer Luke Weaver on the 15-day injured list, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Weaver injured his hamstring while warming up during Sunday’s game. Passan notes that the team has yet to finalize a timetable but suggests it may be a four-to-six week absence.
Weaver has been one of baseball’s best relievers since landing in the Bronx. He turned in a 2.89 ERA while ranking third in MLB with 84 relief innings last year. Weaver punched out more than 31% of opponents. He recorded 22 holds and supplanted Clay Holmes as Aaron Boone’s closer in September. Weaver saved four more games while adding 15 1/3 frames of three-run ball in the postseason.
The offseason Devin Williams trade was supposed to push Weaver back into the setup role he’d held for the bulk of 2024. That arrangement lasted for around a month. Williams allowed three or more runs in three of his first 10 appearances. The Yankees pulled him from the ninth inning by the end of April, hoping that a setup role would allow him to find his footing in his new home.
Weaver drew back in as closer and has gone 8-9 in save chances. Despite a six-point drop in his strikeout rate, Weaver has been as effective as he was last season. He has only surrendered three runs in 25 2/3 frames. Boone will presumably provide an update on the team’s plans for the ninth inning when he meets with the New York beat before tomorrow’s series opener against the Guardians.
Williams has been far better of late, reeling off scoreless appearances in 10 of his last 11 outings. He’s striking out almost 40% of opponents in that time. Giving him the ninth inning is the most straightforward option. If the Yankees don’t want to do that, perhaps if they’re set on returning the role to Weaver once he’s healthy, then Mark Leiter Jr. or Fernando Cruz would be the other options. Cruz is expected back from shoulder inflammation tomorrow.
If Weaver does wind up requiring a 4-6 week recovery, the Yankees would get him back around the All-Star Break. They’d have a couple weeks to evaluate how their bullpen looks leading up to the trade deadline. Weaver is on track for free agency at the end of the season. He should have plenty of time to return and cement his status among the top two or three relievers in the class. He’ll probably be limited to a three-year deal as he enters his age-32 season, but he should command a strong annual value if he comes back without issue.
Back to devin the disaster as CL
He’s been money his whole career ! Takes a while to adjust to the lime light ! He’s ready now thou
In Devin we trust?
Most Devinately
Boone using Weaver in an 18-2 game was just stupid.
It was a very Aaron Boone-like decision.
Weaver had not pitched in 4 days and ended up only throwing 14 pitches. There’s plenty of things to be criticize Boone about but this isn’t one of them.
Idiotic. Senseless.
Boone is not the problem. The Yankees should have grabbed Hader when he was available, but that went against Hal’s bottom line. That said, Weaver needed work, and he struggled in his last two appearances.
Devin Williams needs to man-up and start being a closer.
Devin Williams is a closer, alright, you can count on him to bring the gap between your team and the other team closer in the 9th inning.
Devin has been good, but still gotta hang on prayer for when Boone calls on him to get a save…
I hope Weaver heals quickly. I will always be a fan. He’s a throw back to the days when the Cardinals had so much young pitching they could afford to move promising former 1st round pick for an over 30 hitter.
Seems like a million years ago. Thanks Mo!
It’s been more than a half decade since that trade and Weaver has been good for about a year. The Cardinals obviously should have known back in 2019 that Weaver would be a lights out closer if they just waited another 5 years
What?? You are really going to complain about the Weaver and Carson Kelly swap for Goldschmidt? Cardinals made out like bandits in that deal. You know Goldschmidt won MVP as a Cardinal, right?
I’m not complaining about the trade at all. I’m lamenting the fact that the Cardinals no longer have that pitching pipeline. The trade worked out great for the Cardinals. Mo still killed the farm system.
Boone road Weaver pretty hard last week. If Williams is anointed closer you can be sure that he will be on a short leash. If he struggles the Yankees will go to a bullpen by committee.
I don’t want to live in a world where Leiter is getting save opportunities. Williams is the first choice, if he continues to choke in the 9th I’d go Loasiqua(sp?). Yanks should sign Weaver and let Williams leave in 26.
Would have been nice to have a healthy Jake Cousins rn but from what I understand he’ll be back sooner than later
Many Yankee fans are really outdoing themselves here. Relievers go through bad stretches. Devin Williams is a very good pitcher
Let’s time travel back to late April 2007 when Mariano’s was washed up and needing to retire
John: The NYC curse is also real. I’m all for giving Williams more chances but not everyone can handle the big city pressure. The article mentions his nice recent run but fails to clarify the scoreless streak ended as soon as he got a save opportunity. He’s been straight a$$ as a closer and good as an 8th inning guy.
He’s got only two pitches, a fastball and a changeup. When he’s not locating his FB, hitters will sit on his CU. It’s got nothing to do with NY.
Is that you Matt Blake? Many closers are 2 pitch pitchers, some guy named Mo only featured a 2 pitch mix. I hope he goes nuts and plays 10 more years and goes into the HOF as a Yankee. NY absolutely has eaten up many players. It’s a fair question for a guy who played in Milwaukee though.
Where’s Ramiro Mendoza to teach him the cutter?
Will the real Airbender please stand up?
Hopefully the Dreamweaver can get healthy quickly, and the Airbender can moved in a trade if he ever boosts up his trade value.
The sheer stupidity of the Yankees is beyond comprehension. They literally try to win every game and burn out countless pitchers.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox just STINK.