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Yankees Place Aroldis Chapman On Injured List

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The Yankees announced this evening that closer Aroldis Chapman has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left Achilles tendinitis. Catcher Kyle Higashioka is back from the COVID-19 injured list to fill the active roster spot.

Chapman has been dealing with Achilles issues of late, although manager Aaron Boone told reporters yesterday that an MRI had come back clean. The skipper suggested an IL stint remained in play, though, and that’ll ultimately come to fruition. Whether because of the nagging foot discomfort or merely a coincidental cold streak, Chapman seems due for a reset. He’s allowed runs in each of his past five outings, taking the loss in two of those appearances.

That came on the heels of a stretch of 12 straight scoreless games to open the year. Through May 9, the southpaw had tossed 10 1/3 run-free frames while holding opponents to a .111/.256/.139 slash line. In the two weeks since then, he’s allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings and been hit at a .474/.522/.947 clip. Chapman’s average fastball velocity has lost around a mile and a half per hour relative to last season, leaving the 34-year-old to try to rediscover his prior form once he returns to health.

In spite of Chapman’s recent struggles, the Yankees have had a customarily strong bullpen. New York relievers rank fourth league-wide in ERA (3.10) and seventh in strikeout/walk rate differential (16.6 percentage points). The Yankees did lose Chad Green to Tommy John surgery, but Michael King and Clay Holmes have shown signs of blossoming into elite high-leverage arms this season. They join Jonathan Loáisiga and Wandy Peralta among Boone’s most important bullpen arms while Chapman is out.

Higashioka was one of three players whom the Yankees have placed on the virus list in recent days. Outfielder Joey Gallo and third baseman Josh Donaldson joined him in experiencing flu-like symptoms, but Higashioka has apparently tested negative and is feeling better this evening than he had over the weekend.

Yankees Notes: Donaldson, Andujar, Chapman, Sears

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The Yankees announced Monday that third baseman Josh Donaldson has been placed on the Covid-19-related injured list. Miguel Andujar has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a substitute player in his place. Donaldson hasn’t yet tested positive but reported symptoms to the team. He, Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka (all on the Covid list) are “more than just not feeling well,” says manager Aaron Boone (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “They feel sick. … They’re not available to play.”

That, however, isn’t the Donaldson news that’s the primary topic of conversation today. Major League Baseball announced that Donaldson has received a one-game suspension after making a quip to Yankees shortstop Tim Anderson wherein Donaldson called him “Jackie.” Anderson, White Sox skipper Tony La Russa and several of Anderson’s teammates were quick to call the comment racist, while Donaldson after the game sought to play it off as an inside joke through which he meant no harm. Donaldson plans to appeal the suspension, according to the league.

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks didn’t mince words when asked how the Sox clubhouse felt about Donaldson’s explanation, calling it “bullshit” and telling reporters (video link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times): “Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with, not people that don’t get along at all.”

Fellow reliever Joe Kelly, who was doing a radio appearance with the Parker & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score at the time the suspension broke, expressed disbelief. “One game?” Kelly asked rhetorically. “I got eight games for making a silly face at Carlos Correa.”

Major League Baseball’s statement on the matter was as follows:

“MLB has completed the process of speaking to the individuals involved in this incident. There is no dispute over what was said on the field. Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions. In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline.”

In other Yankees-related news on the day, Boone said that an MRI on closer Aroldis Chapman’s ailing Achilles tendon came back clean (Twitter link via Lindsey Adler of The Athletic). A trip to the injured list, however, remains a possibility for Chapman. The team is still weighing its options. The 34-year-old Chapman’s velocity, strikeout rate and walk rate have all gone the wrong direction this year. After opening the season with a dozen scoreless outings, Chapman has yielded at least one in each of his past five appearances, causing his ERA to jump to 3.86.

Meanwhile, it seems as though lefty JP Sears will make the first start of his Major League career tomorrow. Boone further divulged that the 26-year-old, who tossed a pair of scoreless relief innings in the Majors and has a 0.83 ERA and 30-to-2 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, will make a spot start during tomorrow’s doubleheader (Twitter link via Hoch).

Yankees Place Joey Gallo, Kyle Higashioka On COVID IL

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With just minutes to go before today’s doubleheader against the White Sox, the Yankees have announced a series of roster moves. Outfielder Joey Gallo and catcher Kyle Higashioka have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Catcher Ben Rortvedt was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Additionally, the club recalled righty David McKay and signed catcher Rob Brantly to the active roster.

The club hasn’t provided any information about why exactly Gallo and Higashioka have been placed on the COVID list, though manager Aaron Boone did say that Gallo was “under the weather” yesterday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Players can be placed on the COVID-related IL for positive tests, experiencing symptoms or for contract tracing purposes. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club. It’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).

With Gallo out, the Yankees still have Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton for their outfield mix. Though with Stanton frequently in the DH slot, it’s possible that Marwin Gonzalez gets more time on the grass. Estevan Florial, the 27th man for today’s doubleheader, could also stick around for some added outfield depth in the days to come.

Higashioka and Jose Trevino have been combining to handle the work behind the dish for the Yanks, with each appearing in parts of 24 games so far this year. Brantly, 32, is a journeyman catcher, having played for the Marlins, White Sox, Phillies and Giants, before suiting up for the Yankees last year. He was outrighted and re-signed to a minor league deal in the offseason. Through 14 Triple-A games this year, he’s hitting .257/.341/.371, 96 wRC+. He’ll presumably act as Trevino’s backup until Higashioka is eligible to return.

As for Rortvedt, he recently underwent knee surgery and isn’t expected to return to game activity for 6-8 weeks, making his transfer largely a formality. Acquired alongside Josh Donaldson in this offseason’s trade with the Twins, he has yet to appear in a game for the Yankees, starting the year off with an oblique issue before this knee injury surfaced.

McKay, 27, was signed by the Rays to a minor league deal over the winter but was traded to the Yankees in April. He’s yet to appear with the big league team, but has been throwing well in Triple-A. In 14 2/3 innings with the RailRiders, he has a 1.84 ERA and 36.8% strikeout rate, though that comes with a 14% walk rate.

Chad Green To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, that Chad Green will undergo Tommy John surgery.

The news is not surprising but is nonetheless disappointing. Green left Thursday’s game with forearm discomfort, with Boone relaying that the injury was feared to be significant. The club initially held off on making any declarative statements, though it seemed like a notable surgical procedure was on the table as they collected further medical opinions. Now, unfortunately, the severity of the situation has been agreed upon, with Green headed for the surgery that should keep him out of action for the next 12-18 months.

This is the second blow to the Yankees’ pitching staff in recent days, as it was announced yesterday that Luis Gil is also going under the knife for Tommy John. The club has had remarkable pitching health on the year overall, with their rotation front five of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon, Luis Severino and Nestor Cortes Jr. making every start for the team, except for a single spot start from Gil. However, these two surgeries are still notable, taking out the club’s sixth starter and a key member of the relief corps.

Green has somewhat quietly been one of the most effective and durable relievers in the game over the past few years, having not been on the IL since 2016, until this week. His 326 relief innings pitched from 2016 to the present are bested by only 21 other pitchers in the league. He hasn’t just been taking mop-up duty either, as he has a 2.79 ERA out of the bullpen in his career, with a 32.8% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate, racking up 11 saves and 52 holds.

It’s also very unfortunate for Green personally, as he is set to reach free agency at season’s end. After years of being healthy and productive, suffering a serious injury just months before heading into the open market is incredibly unlucky timing, to state the obvious. He will now head into free agency with teams knowing he won’t be available until the middle of the 2023 campaign, at the earliest. It’s possible he will still garner interest on a back-loaded or incentive-laden contract, such as those recently signed by Ken Giles, Kirby Yates or Tommy Kahnle., who were also working their way back from Tommy John when their contracts were signed.

Luis Gil To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced to reporters, including Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, that right-hander Luis Gil will undergo Tommy John surgery. The procedure is set to take place this Tuesday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

This is obviously very disappointing news for both Gil and the team. For Gil personally, the 23-year-old was starting to make his way into the Yankees’ plans, making six starts last year and one this year. Last year, he fared very well over those starts for the club, logging a 3.07 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate, though a concerning 14.7% walk rate. Still, for a depth starter, that’s more than acceptable. He’d been struggling so far this year, with a 7.89 ERA over six Triple-A starts, though he was still racking up strikeouts at a 30.1% pace.

Gil is in his final option year, meaning he will be out of options next year. Therefore, once he’s made his way back from this surgery, he won’t be able to be sent to the minors without first being exposed to waivers. Gil was in the minors when injured and won’t accrue service time while rehabbing from the injury. However, he will still occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Should the Yankees have need to add someone else to the roster in the future, they could open up a spot by moving Gil to the MLB 60-day injured list. However, doing so would entitle Gil to MLB pay and service time for the remainder of the year. He came into this season with 33 days of service time and added just a single day to that when making a spot start earlier this year.

For the team, they are now without their sixth starter. They have enjoyed remarkable health with the front five members of their rotation, as Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes Jr., Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino have made all of the club’s starts, outside of that single spot start from Gil. An entire rotation staying healthy for a full season is essentially unheard of, meaning the Yanks will surely need to use another depth starter at some point. Even if they are remarkably healthy, the schedule will occasionally require a fresh arm. For instance, last night’s game was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow. That means the Yankees are going to be playing ten games in the next nine days. Assuming the club doesn’t want to have any of their front five pitching on short rest at this stage of the season, they will need a spot start from somewhere.

Other options on the 40-man roster include Deivi Garcia, JP Sears and Luis Medina. Medina is unlikely to get serious consideration, as he’s in Double-A and has an ERA of 5.00 at the moment, having walked 17.9% of batters faced on the year so far. Garcia has eight MLB starts under his belt from 2020 and 2021, but has a whopping 9.17 ERA in Triple-A this year, with his strikeouts down to 16.5% and his walks up to 15.4%. Sears could be a legitimate option, with his 0.53 ERA in Triple-A so far, though in a small sample of just 17 innings. Looking to the active roster, Clarke Schmidt could perhaps transition from the bullpen to the rotation. He’s been working as a long man this year, logging 11 innings in five appearances with a 0.82 ERA.

Yankees Place Chad Green On IL With Elbow Strain

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The Yankees announced today that right-handed reliever Chad Green has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain. Fellow righty Ron Marinaccio has been recalled in a corresponding move.

Green’s move to the IL is hardly surprising, given the events of recent days. He was removed from Friday’s game after a meeting on the mound with the team’s training staff, with clear concern about an injury. Yesterday, manager Aaron Boone described the injury as “significant” while adding that they would still try to get more information. Today’s announcement of the elbow strain diagnosis will do little to quell fears about Green’s situation, as arm injuries are always concerning for a pitcher. However, it seems further testing is still forthcoming, with Lindsey Adler of The Athletic relaying word from manager Aaron Boone that medical opinions are still being collected.

Regardless of how long he’s ultimately sidelined, it’s an unfortunate development for both Green and the Yankees. The righty has somewhat quietly been one of the most effective and durable relievers in the game over the past few years. This is his first trip to the injured list since 2016, his debut season. His 326 relief innings pitched from 2016 to the present are bested by only 21 other pitchers in the league. He hasn’t just been taking mop-up duty either, as he has a 2.79 ERA out of the bullpen in his career, with a 32.8% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate, racking up 11 saves and 52 holds.

While this is no doubt a blow to the Yankees’ bullpen corps, it’s also very unfortunate for Green personally, as he is set to reach free agency at season’s end. After years of being healthy and productive, suffering a serious injury just months before heading into the open market is incredibly unlucky timing, to state the obvious. However, even in a worst-case scenario where Green is headed for significant surgery that will put him out of action for more than a year, he’d likely still garner interest on a back-loaded or incentive-laden contract, such as those recently signed by Ken Giles, Kirby Yates or Tommy Kahnle. Of course, both Green and the Yankees will be hoping to avoid such a scenario.

Boone: Luis Gil Dealing With “Significant” Arm Injury

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Yankees right-hander Luis Gil exited his most recent minor league appearance when he grabbed his right arm and called for the trainer, and the ominous nature of that scene was reflected today when skipper Aaron Boone addressed the media. Boone told reporters that team physician Chris Ahmad had examined Gil, and while additional opinions were being sought, the injury looks to be “significant” (link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).

The 23-year-old Gil has only made one appearance with the Yankees so far in 2022, yielding four runs in four innings of work. However, he was an important late-season call-up in 2021, when he made six starts and totaled 29 1/3 innings of 3.07 ERA ball with 38 strikeouts. Gil’s 19 walks were far too many in such a short period, but for a 23-year-old rookie it was a nevertheless impressive debut.

The Yankees have had good health in their rotation so far, with each of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, Jameson Taillon and out-of-the-blue breakout Nestor Cortes Jr. holding up and throwing well. Domingo German is currently on the shelf owing to shoulder woes, but it’s been a generally healthy and effective year for the Yanks’ rotation, which ranks second in the Majors with a composite 2.99 ERA. Still, the ostensible loss of Gil robs the organization of perhaps its top depth option.

Then again, Gil has struggled mightily in Triple-A Scranton this year, logging a 7.89 ERA across six outings. He’s still missing bats at a high level (30.1% strikeout rate), but Gil has walked 14.6% of his opponents in Triple-A and yielded six homers in 21 2/3 frames (2.49 HR/9). The extent to which the current arm injury has fueled those poor results can’t be known — it’s possible he’d been pitching through pain before reaching a tipping point on that last offering — but it’s been a struggle for him this season, to say the least.

The Yankees will likely have further details on Gil’s status in the coming days, but the mere mention of “working through opinions” and a “significant” injury obviously suggests that he won’t be an option for the big league club anytime in the near future. With Gil sidelined, the top minor league depth options on the 40-man roster would be Deivi Garcia, JP Sears and Luis Medina. Garcia, once considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, had a dismal season in Triple-A last year and has allowed more runs than innings pitched so far in 2022. Sears has had a strong showing with Scranton, while Medina has struggled at the Double-A level.

Yankees Notes: Green, Gil, Judge

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2:55pm: Boone provided nebulous but worrisome updates on each of Green and Gil this afternoon (via Max Goodman and Laura Albanese of Newsday). Gil’s injury is “significant,” per Boone, who didn’t specify whether surgery may be on the table. The organization fears Green could also be facing a notable absence but is awaiting further tests.

12:04pm: Yankees reliever Chad Green left yesterday’s loss to the Orioles after just 11 pitches, and the team later announced he’d experienced some forearm discomfort (via Brendan Kuty of NJ.com). They’ll know more upon receiving the results of an MRI today, and Green conceded postgame that he’s “concerned about it to a certain extent” (quote via Erik Boland of Newsday). “Obviously, when you’re dealing with an arm injury, you’re not really sure what can happen or what’s really going on. We’ll get it checked out … and go from there.”

Even if the imaging results are good, it seems a precautionary injured list stint could be on the table. That’s unfamiliar territory for Green, who hasn’t landed on the IL since his 2016 season was cut short by a forearm tendon problem. The right-hander returned the following year seemingly no worse for wear, and he’s been one of the game’s predominant bullpen workhorses in the half-decade since then. Going back to the start of the 2017 season, only four relievers have taken on a heavier workload — and that’s not counting the 15 starts Green made in 2019.

He owns a sterling 2.87 ERA as a reliever over that stretch, striking out a lofty 33.1% of opposing hitters while showcasing atypically excellent control (5.9% walk rate) for a late-game arm. Skipper Aaron Boone has deployed Green as a high-leverage stopper throughout that run, often to great success. His strikeout and walk numbers haven’t been dominant over 15 frames this season, but Green owns a flat 3.00 ERA and a 14.5% swinging strike rate that isn’t far off his prior years’ marks.

More out of the Bronx:

  • New York is also dealing with some injury concerns at the minor league level. Prospect Luis Gil pulled himself from Wednesday night’s Triple-A start after experiencing an elbow injury (h/t to Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette). Yesterday, Boone told reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) that Gil was set for a visit with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. As with Green, more information will be known upon further testing, but Gil is a key depth arm for the Yankees. The 23-year-old made his first six MLB starts last season, posting a 3.07 ERA across 29 1/3 innings. He hasn’t performed well thus far in 2022 with their top affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, struggling with both walks and home runs en route to a 7.89 ERA over six starts. Nevertheless, Gil was called up for a spot start against the White Sox last week. He’s the only pitcher outside the primary five of Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon to start a game for New York this season.
  • In non-injury matters, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN takes a look at how Aaron Judge’s incredible start to the season could impact his free agent trajectory. Obviously, posting a .307/.381/.664 line through his first 36 games will help Judge’s market value, but there aren’t many clean comparison points for a player with his profile hitting the market in advance of his age-31 season. Judge famously rejected the Yankees’ seven-year, $213.5MM extension offer in Spring Training, and McDaniel feels he’d be in line to top $250MM if he continues to perform at a career-best pace. McDaniel also floats some possible landing spots if Judge were to leave the Bronx, hearing from rival executives who speculate that the Mets might relish the opportunity to make a run at the three-time All-Star.

Yankees’ Ben Rortvedt Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

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The Yankees announced that catcher Ben Rortvedt underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee, with the surgery described a “meniscus clean-up.”  The surgery took place yesterday, and Rortvedt is expected to return to game activity in 6-8 weeks.

The least-experienced of the five names involved in March’s blockbuster trade between the Yankees and Twins, Rortvedt has yet to make his New York debut, as he has been recovering from an oblique injury suffered during Spring Training.  The catcher began a rehab assignment earlier this month, but that assignment was put on hold after Rortvedt’s knee issue surfaced.

Rortvedt made his MLB debut just last season, appearing in 39 games for Minnesota and hitting .169/.229/.281 over 98 plate appearances.  Considered primarily as a glove-first type, Rortvedt did show a bit of extra hitting potential with a .254/.324/.426 slash line over 136 Triple-A PA, and he is still only 24 years old.

In the wake of Rortvedt’s oblique injury, the Yankees acquired Jose Trevino from the Rangers as extra catching depth, and the tandem of Trevino and Kyle Higashioka have contributed next to nothing at the plate this season.  However, it was clear that the Yankees were focusing on defense from the catcher position, and Trevino/Higashioka have excelled on that front — as per both Fangraphs and Statcast, New York has the best framing numbers of any team in baseball, and Yankee catchers are a cumulative +2 in Defensive Runs Saved.  While the Yankees surely wouldn’t mind a bit of extra pop from Trevino, Higashioka, or Rortvedt when he is healthy, the club is surely more than satisfied with this defensive excellence, especially since the rest of the lineup is hitting on all cylinders.

Red Sox Notes: Trade Deadline, Bloom, Song, Hyers

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In an early look ahead to this year’s trade deadline, Joel Sherman of the New York Post identifies the 12-20 Red Sox as potential sellers. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom rebukes any notion that the team is preparing to punt on the season however, telling Sherman “We are not thinking that way [selling] at all […] The hole we are in is real, but it doesn’t reflect the talent on this club. We know it will take a lot to climb out, but we believe this group can do it.”

Accordingly, Sherman acknowledges how much baseball is left to be played this season and opposes a total teardown for a club that just last year made the playoffs. He does also cite Boston’s frequent record fluctuation this past decade (the team has finished first and last in the AL East four times apiece), however, as reason to brace for a disappointing final win tally. With a number of teams already ahead of them in the Wild Card hunt, to say nothing of their incredibly tough division, the Red Sox figure to have a harder time than most presumptive contenders in reaching the playoffs this year. Thanks to a handful of impending All-Star free agents and a wide open payroll next offseason though, there’s perhaps no team more qualified to reload at the trade deadline before trying for better results in 2023.

Some more news out of Boston…

  • Pitching prospect Noah Song was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2019 draft but has since seen his baseball career be put on hold due to Navy commitments. As Alex Speier of The Boston Globe details, however, Song has now completed flight school and applied for a service waiver that may allow him to resume his professional baseball career. At the time of his draft selection scouts viewed the right-hander as a first-round talent with mid-rotation upside, albeit one with obvious signing roadblocks, so his return could be quite the boon for a farm system on the rise. It remains to be seen how a multi-year layoff from baseball might impact Song’s athletic abilities or if additional naval obligations will keep his service waiver from being approved, but the Sox for their part seem prepared and supportive of either outcome.
  • In an interview with Christopher Smith of MassLive, former Boston hitting coach Tim Hyers discussed his rationale for leaving the franchise this offseason to take an identical role with the Rangers. Familial considerations, challenge-seeking, and a desire to let current Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse rise to the occasion all informed his ultimate departure. Hyers of course has been one of the sport’s more productive hitting coaches in terms of results, as high-octane offense was the calling card of Red Sox teams dating back to his first year under manager Alex Cora in 2018. Hyers’ coaching presence, and lack thereof, seems to be felt by his old and new club so far this season, as the Rangers have improved relatively as a run-scoring unit while the Red Sox currently find themselves as a bottom-three team in MLB in that regard. If there’s one silver lining here in the early-going for Sox fans, it’s that Hyers was approached by the Yankees after leaving his post with Boston but politely rebuffed the club.
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