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Aroldis Chapman

Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal

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The Royals announced Friday they’ve signed left-hander Aroldis Chapman to a one-year deal. The lefty will reportedly make a base salary of $3.75MM but could earn an extra $4MM in performance bonuses. Chapman is a Wasserman client.

Chapman, 35 in February, spent over a decade as one of the most feared closers in baseball but has slipped from those heights in the past couple of years. From 2010 to 2020, he made 563 appearances with the Reds, Cubs and Yankees, posting a 2.25 ERA while racking up 276 saves. His 11.5% walk rate in that time was certainly on the high side, but he paired that with an incredible 41.2% strikeout rate. Only Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen had more saves in that time and only Josh Hader bested him in terms of strikeout rate, minimum 100 innings pitched, though Hader didn’t debut until 2017 and did that over a much smaller sample.

In 2021, however, Chapman’s already shaky command seemed to get even worse, as he walked 15.6% of batters who came to the plate. He still posted a huge 39.9% strikeout rate but his 3.36 ERA was his highest in a season since 2011. Things got even worse last year as his walk rate jumped to 17.5% and he only struck out 26.9% of batters faced. That latter number was still above average but a huge drop from his previous form. When combined with the control issues, his ERA jumped to 4.46. His fastball, which used to average in the triple digits, dropped to an average of “just” 97.5 mph.

The issues with Chapman weren’t limited to his on-field performance either. He had already drawn the disapproval of many people in the baseball world years ago when a domestic violence allegation led to a 30-game suspension. More recently, he also drew the ire of many Yankee fans by missing time due to an infection from a tattoo. He then skipped a team workout between the regular season and postseason, leading the club to leave him off their playoff roster.

Despite the off-field issues and diminished performance, Chapman still drew interest from a few clubs around the league, including the Padres and Marlins. The Fish even held a private workout with him, with video shared by Alvarez on Twitter. However, they apparently didn’t make him an offer, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald and Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase.

Instead, it will be the Royals who take a chance on Chapman and hope for a return to form. This fits in with similar moves the club has made in recent years, giving deals to veteran hurlers in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle. They signed Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland going into 2020 and then Wade Davis the year after.

The Royals have a young roster overall and the bullpen is no exception. Chapman is now the only player with more than six years of MLB service time, while Amir Garrett and Scott Barlow are the only others with more than four. The new addition gives them a veteran but, perhaps more importantly, a midseason trade candidate. The Royals won just 65 games last year and finished in the bottom of the American League Central. If they endure a similarly frustrating campaign this year but Chapman is in good form, he’ll like be flipped this summer for prospects. Chapman and Garrett give the club at least a pair of lefties in the bullpen, with Richard Lovelady and Anthony Misiewicz also on hand to further stretch the club’s southpaw contingent.

Financially, this deal brings the club’s expenditures to $89MM, per the calculations of Roster Resource. That’s still shy of the $95MM figure the club had an Opening Day last year, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, and well shy of their $143MM record high. They could use some upgrades elsewhere on the roster but might not spend much more, with general manager J.J. Picollo explaining in November that the budget might be tight this winter.

Alfre Alvarez of Con Las Bases Llenas first reported that a deal was close and also added the $4MM value for the bonuses (Twitter links). Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported that an agreement was in place and also first had the $3.75MM base salary (Twitter links).

Royals, Padres Among Teams Interested In Aroldis Chapman

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Both the Royals and Padres have some level of interest free-agent lefty Aroldis Chapman, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. This comes just one day after the Marlins were also reported to have interest in the former Yankees, Cubs and Reds closer.

The 2022 season was a rough one for Chapman, who’ll turn 35 next month. The lefty’s fastball, which once averaged better than 101 mph, dropped to a 97.5 mph average in 2022. Simultaneously, his command troubles spike to their worst levels since back in 2011. Chapman’s 26.9% strikeout rate in 2022 was better than league-average but still a career-low by a wide margin, and he walked a massive 17.5% of his opponents, which is the second-worst mark of his career.

Chapman’s 4.46 ERA was passable but nevertheless the highest of his career, and he missed six weeks of the season with an Achilles injury in addition to a roughly three-week absence owing to a leg infection related to a recent tattoo he’d received. He was also left off the Yankees’ postseason roster after skipping a team workout

Kansas City has taken its share of low-cost gambles on former high-profile closers in recent years, inking Trevor Rosenthal prior to the 2020 season and also bringing former K.C. stars Wade Davis and Greg Holland back for buy-low reunion tours. Chapman would be a page out of a similar playbook.

With just an $85MM projected payroll (via Roster Resource) and plenty of uncertainty behind closer Scott Barlow, the Royals represent a sensible enough on-paper fit. They already have three potential southpaws for the ’pen, with Amir Garrett, Anthony Misiewicz and Richard Lovelady on hand, but Misiewicz does have a pair of minor league option years remaining. And, if Chapman were able to bounce back into form, he could potentially be someone they look to flip to another club as the trade deadline draws nearer.

As for the Padres, nary a free agent with any name value passes by without being connected to them. The Friars already have a deep bullpen, headlined by Josh Hader, Robert Suarez, Luis Garcia and a hopefully healthy Drew Pomeranz, but Chapman would add another big arm to the mix. Ownership and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller have shown a clear affinity for high-profile stars in recent years, even if some of those name-brand players have been past their peak production.

Then again, they’re also already sitting on a $251MM payroll, and Chapman could push them into the third tier of luxury penalization, given the projected $270.6MM currently on their luxury ledger. In terms of monetary penalization, the jump from adding Chapman likely wouldn’t be large. The Padres would pay a 42% tax on every dollar up to $273MM in luxury obligations, and that number would jump to 75% thereafter. However, presuming Chapman won’t command much more than a few million dollars on a one-year rebound deal, that sum won’t be particularly burdensome.

That said, there’s a greater cost to consider if the Padres want to continue spending in free agency. Exceeding the luxury tax threshold by more than $40MM also results in a team’s top pick in the subsequent year’s draft pushed back by 10 places. Tacking on even a $3MM salary for Chapman would come with something like $4MM in costs between his salary and luxury tax penalties, but would more importantly drop the Padres out of the top 30 in the 2024 draft while also reducing the size of their bonus pool. Further trades, of course, could always alter that calculus, but the Padres were recently reported to be approaching a “self-prescribed” spending limit. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the point at which payroll begins to detrimentally impact future drafts is indeed that limit.

While much of the free-agent market moved at an accelerated pace this offseason, the market for left-handed relievers has been curiously slow. Taylor Rogers took until late December to land his three-year deal with the Giants, and Chapman joins the likes of Andrew Chafin, Matt Moore, Will Smith, Brad Hand and Zack Britton as a southpaw reliever of note that has yet to sign a team for the 2023 season.

Marlins Have Shown Interest In Aroldis Chapman

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The Marlins are among the teams with interest in Aroldis Chapman, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Miami becomes the first team known to have checked in on the seven-time All-Star reliever this offseason, though Heyman suggests there are multiple clubs in the mix.

While the Fish are apparently keeping an eye on Chapman, it’s not clear how strong their interest is. Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reported this afternoon the Marlins hadn’t put forth a formal offer. According to the Herald, Chapman is hoping to sign with a team in the relatively near future and has been working out in the Miami area, where he lives.

One of the sport’s best relievers for more than a decade, Chapman remained a valuable late-game arm as recently as 2021. He secured an All-Star nod that season and provided the Yankees with a 3.36 ERA through 56 1/3 innings. His walk and home run numbers were a bit alarming but the overall results were solid. New York trusted him enough to give him the ninth inning, where he saved 30 games in 34 attempts.

Had Chapman hit free agency coming off that season, he’d likely have been in line for a solid multi-year pact. The big southpaw had easily the worst season of his career in 2022, sending him to the open market with his value at a low ebb. Chapman posted a 4.46 ERA across 36 1/3 innings, the first year in which he’d allowed more than four earned runs per nine. He walked 17.5% of opposing hitters, the second-highest rate of his career and the loftiest clip of any reliever with 30+ innings pitched last year.

Chapman paired the abundance of free passes with the lowest strikeout percentage of his career. He fanned 26.9% of batters faced, the first time he’d punched out fewer than 30% of opponents. Even that diminished mark for Chapman was still firmly better than average, however. That’s also true of his fastball velocity. His heater sat at 97.5 MPH, a lower figure compared to his peak when he routinely averaged north of 100 MPH. Yet even that version of Chapman was among the sport’s hardest-throwing southpaws. New Philadelphia teammates Gregory Soto and José Alvarado were the game’s only lefties who topped Chapman in average fastball speed.

Given the quality of even the “lesser” stuff he’s brandishing, Chapman could certainly right the ship and reemerge as a quality high-leverage piece. His 2022 issues weren’t limited to his on-field inconsistency though. The 34-year-old (35 next month) had a pair of stints on the injured list. He missed time early in the year to Achilles tendinitis before a late-season injured list stint that arose when a tattoo got infected. That led to some frustration from Yankees brass, and New York left Chapman off their playoff rosters entirely after he didn’t report to a team workout shortly before the start of the postseason.

That certainly seemed to bring an unceremonious end to Chapman’s generally productive seven-year tenure in the Bronx. There was never much doubt he’d catch on elsewhere. Part of a left-handed relief class that has bizarrely lagged the rest of the free agent market, Chapman lingers in free agency alongside the likes of Andrew Chafin, Will Smith, Matt Moore and Brad Hand.

Jackson and Mish write that the Marlins are broadly surveying the market for potential relief help. The Herald reiterates the team’s previously-reported interest in former Cardinals closer Alex Reyes, who continues to work his way back from last May’s shoulder surgery. Jackson and Mish write that Reyes is hopeful of signing with Miami. He’d also be a high-risk upside flier considering his recent health history, though Reyes is far younger than Chapman and throws right-handed. The Fish already have a trio of southpaws — Tanner Scott, Steven Okert and Richard Bleier — locked into their bullpen, so they don’t necessarily have to narrow down targets based on handedness.

Which Remaining Free Agent Relievers Are Coming Off The Best Seasons?

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The offseason floodgates opened this month, with an avalanche of free agent activity once the Winter Meetings got underway. Things have quieted down in recent days thanks to the holidays, but clubs are likely to again get back to attacking the free agent market in earnest this week.

Most of the winter’s top names are off the board, leaving teams to mostly look through lower-cost options as they search for upgrades on the margins of the roster. There are still a number of experienced options available, particularly for teams seeking to round out the bullpen. Using MLBTR’s free agent list, we find 47 pitchers who tossed at least 20 innings out of a team’s bullpen in 2022 and remain unsigned.

We’ll sort the remaining free agent relievers by various metrics of 2022 performance to identify some of the top arms. There are obviously other factors for teams to consider — quality of raw stuff, pre-2022 track record, the player’s injury history, etc. — but a brief snapshot on the top bullpen arms by last year’s performance should provide a decent starting point for players teams might target moving forward. (All figures cited, including league averages, are looking solely at pitchers’ outings as relievers).

ERA (league average — 3.86)

  1. Matt Moore (LHP), 1.95
  2. Alex Young (LHP), 2.08
  3. Matt Wisler (RHP), 2.23
  4. Wily Peralta (RHP), 2.72
  5. Brad Hand (LHP), 2.80
  6. Andrew Chafin (LHP), 2.83
  7. David Phelps (RHP), 2.87
  8. Ralph Garza Jr. (RHP), 3.34
  9. Jackson Stephens (RHP), 3.38
  10. Michael Fulmer (RHP), 3.39

Strikeout rate (league average — 23.6%)

  1. Daniel Norris (LHP), 30%
  2. Darren O’Day (RHP), 27.7%
  3. Andrew Chafin, 27.6%
  4. Matt Moore, 27.3%
  5. Aroldis Chapman (LHP), 26.9%
  6. Steve Cishek (RHP), 25.8%
  7. Chasen Shreve (LHP), 25.4%
  8. Will Smith (LHP), 24.9%
  9. David Phelps, 23.9%
  10. Noé Ramirez, 23.7%

Strikeout/walk rate differential (league average — 14.5 percentage points)

  1. Andrew Chafin, 19.8 points
  2. Daniel Norris, 19 points
  3. Darren O’Day, 17 points
  4. Chasen Shreve, 16.7 points
  5. Steve Cishek, 16.4 points
  6. Craig Stammen (RHP), 15.7 points
  7. Will Smith, 15.3 points
  8. Matt Moore, 14.8 points
  9. Ross Detwiler (LHP), 14.8 points
  10. Luke Weaver (RHP), 13.8 points

Ground-ball rate (league average — 43.5%)

  1. Luis Perdomo (RHP), 62.5%
  2. Joe Smith (RHP), 57.5%
  3. Alex Young, 55.7%
  4. Alex Colomé (RHP), 55.6%
  5. T.J. McFarland (LHP), 53%
  6. Craig Stammen, 52.6%
  7. Garrett Richards (RHP), 52.4%
  8. Bryan Shaw (RHP), 51.8%
  9. Andrew Chafin, 51.3%
  10. Jacob Barnes (RHP), 50.7%

FIP (league average — 3.86)

  1. Luke Weaver, 2.46
  2. Alex Young, 2.65
  3. Matt Moore, 2.98
  4. Andrew Chafin, 3.06
  5. David Phelps, 3.11
  6. Garrett Richards, 3.16
  7. Jackson Stephens, 3.45
  8. Michael Fulmer, 3.57
  9. Brad Hand, 3.93
  10. Darren O’Day, 4.04

Innings Pitched

  1. Matt Moore, 74
  2. Caleb Smith (LHP), 69
  3. Steve Cishek, 66 1/3
  4. Michael Fulmer, 63 2/3
  5. David Phelps, 62 2/3
  6. Hunter Strickland (RHP), 62 1/3
  7. Will Smith, 59
  8. Andrew Chafin, 57 1/3
  9. Bryan Shaw, 54
  10. Jackson Stephens/Hirokazu Sawamura (RHP), 50 2/3 each

DJ LeMahieu Not On Yankees’ AL Division Series Roster Due To Foot Injury

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The Yankees were on a record wins pace early in the season. They hit a midseason lull and tailed off a bit down the stretch, but a strong month of September locked up the AL East title in convincing fashion. Their reward: a first-round bye as the AL’s #2 seed and an ALDS matchup with the Guardians, the Central division champs who dispatched the Rays in two games in their Wild Card round.

Here’s the roster the Yankees will roll out for this set:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Designated Hitter

Injuries are much of the story for New York. Notably, infielder DJ LeMahieu is not on the roster, as he continues to battle a right foot injury. The veteran hitter was reinstated from the injured list on September 30 after missing three weeks with toe inflammation. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that LeMahieu has a fracture in his foot/toe area that inhibits his ability to swing. While the Yankees aren’t ruling him out for the entirety of the postseason, he won’t be an option for this series and could be sidelined even if New York advances.

In LeMahieu’s place, the Yankees welcome back Matt Carpenter from the 60-day injured list. Carpenter has been out since the second week of August with a foot fracture of his own, his occurring after fouling a ball off his foot. While the 36-year-old hasn’t played in a game since the injury, he has taken live batting practice in recent days. Manager Aaron Boone informed reporters this afternoon he’s likely to deploy Carpenter as a left-handed bench bat but didn’t entirely rule out the possibility he sees some defensive action (Twitter link via Yankees Videos). Signed to a major league deal after being granted his release from a minor league pact with Texas in May, Carpenter ranked at a .305/.412/.727 clip in 47 games before going down.

There’s also a fair bit of intrigue in the bullpen. It was surprisingly revealed this morning that Scott Effross would require Tommy John surgery. He’s of course not on the roster, while Aroldis Chapman has been left off after missing a team workout last week. Boone told reporters that Chapman has been throwing in Miami over the past few days but “for now, he’s staying away” from the team (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Clay Holmes is on the roster after not pitching since September 26 due to a shoulder issue.

Aroldis Chapman To Be Left Off Yankees’ ALDS Roster After Skipping Team Workout

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Yankees lefty Aroldis Chapman will be left off the club’s ALDS roster after skipping a team workout on Friday. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters this morning, saying that the veteran lefty was scheduled to throw live batting practice on Friday but missed it with “not an acceptable excuse,” per Lindsey Adler and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

General manager Brian Cashman also spoke with the media, with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relaying about two minutes of video on Twitter. Cashman said that the official roster decisions have not been made yet but that Chapman has taken himself out of consideration, explaining that the southpaw flew to Miami for the club’s off-day between Wednesday’s regular season finale and a scheduled workout on Friday. However, he didn’t return for that workout and has now been fined by the team, in addition to being told not to return for the time being.

Chapman certainly wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the roster based on his performance this season and Cashman indeed said that an element of the workout was for the lefty to throw a live bullpen as part of competing for a spot. However, he’s now made it a moot point with his truancy. Since Chapman is an impending free agent, this news creates the possibility that Chapman has thrown his final pitch as a Yankee.

After pitching to a then-career-high 3.36 ERA in 55 1/3 innings in 2021, Chapman hoped to reestablish himself as a premier closer before entering free agency in his age-35 season. Instead, today’s debacle is the latest development in Chapman’s saga-filled 2022 season.

In the final year of a three-year, $48MM extension signed after the 2019 season, Chapman has begun to show his age. The long-time closer lost his role at the back of the bullpen to Clay Holmes after a month into the season, giving up six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in May before left Achillies tendinitis forced a trip to the 15-day IL for the entirety of June.

Upon his return in July, Chapman continued to underperform, allowing 10 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings before landing on the 15-day IL again, this time due to a leg infection stemming from a tattoo. Chapman returned in mid-September and showed signs of improving, giving up only 2 runs over his final 5 2/3 innings. Collectively, Chapman finished the 2022 regular season with a 4.46 ERA in 36 1/3 innings.

Whether or not Chapman returns to the club for a later postseason round, it’s fair to wonder how much interest he will have in free agency this winter. Though he was once one of the most dominant relief pitchers in the game, he’s coming off a poor season and has compounded those concerns with off-field problems. In addition to this year’s issues, Chapman was also given a 30-game suspension in 2016 for domestic violence.

Yankees Activate Aroldis Chapman, Designate Ryan Weber

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The Yankees announced they’ve reinstated reliever Aroldis Chapman from the 15-day injured list. To clear a spot on the active roster, New York designated righty Ryan Weber for assignment. New York’s 40-man roster tally drops to 38.

Chapman missed around three weeks recovering from an infection arising from a tattoo. The bizarre issue marked the latest frustration in what has been a disappointing overall season for the flamethrowing southpaw. Chapman has worked to a career-worst 4.70 ERA across 30 2/3 innings.

His formerly elite strikeout rate has fallen to a slightly above-average 25.7%, while he’s walking batters at an unacceptable 16.2% clip. New York already bumped Chapman from the ninth inning in favor of Clay Holmes, and it remains to be seen where he stands in the left-handed pecking order for manager Aaron Boone as the playoffs approach. Wandy Peralta and Lucas Luetge have each been solid this year, with Peralta thriving against same-handed opponents.

As for Weber, he finds himself in a familiar position. The soft-tossing righty has been on and off the Yankees roster a few times this season, with New York frequently calling upon him as a depth arm. He’s never carved out a permanent spot on the big league club, though, and he’s now been designated for assignment for a fourth time this year. Because he’s out of minor league options, the Yankees continuously have to run him through waivers to take him off the big league roster.

The 32-year-old has remained with New York after each previous DFA, either via accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or quickly returning on a new minor league deal after electing free agency. He’s pitched well through the constant shuffling, tossing 10 2/3 innings of one-run ball at the MLB level while posting a 3.86 ERA over 39 2/3 Triple-A frames. Weber’s 16.5% strikeout rate with Scranton has been typically modest, but he’s induced plenty of ground-balls and only walked 3% of opponents there.

Yankees Notes: LeMahieu, Rizzo, Cabrera, Bader, Pitching Staff

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3:26PM: LeMahieu discussed his toe injury with Rivera and other reporters, saying that he had yet to begin any baseball activities since he isn’t able to rotate his right foot.  LeMahieu is hopeful he might be able to return when the Yankees begin a homestand on September 20, though Boone wasn’t quite as optimistic about that potential return date.

9:25AM: The Yankees were largely able to avoid the injury bug in the early part of the year but it’s caught up with them here in the latter part of the schedule. The club currently has 15 players on the IL, which includes five position players and 10 pitchers. Marly Rivera did a thorough roundup at ESPN, including comments from manager Aaron Boone.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo has been out of action for over a week now but seems to be trending towards a return to baseball activities. A lingering back issue led to him getting an epidural as treatment, but that had the unfortunate side effect of giving Rizzo migraines. Rivera reports that Rizzo received a blood patch to try to alleviate the migraines, which Boone characterized as a success. “Immediately, they had him moving around and walking,” Boone said. “And I think it freed him up right away. Headaches are gone so far.”

Boone then added that if Rizzo feels good today, they will start ramping up baseball activities. While that sounds like good news, the next steps are still a bit murky. Though Boone is hoping for Rizzo to be back in the lineup within a week, it will depend on how things progress. “It’ll kind of depend on how the ramp-up goes. Hopefully, we’ve gotten through what we need to, and now we can start building that process. We’ll just pay attention to how he’s doing and how long it takes him to get rolling.”

With Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu out of action, the Yanks took a shot on Ronald Guzmán, though he was designated for assignment after just a few days. Marwin Gonzalez is holding down the position for now, with Rivera reporting that rookie Oswaldo Cabrera currently penciled in as the backup. Cabrera definitely has versatility, having played a lot of second base, third base and shortstop in his career, as well as some outfield work. He’s never played first base, however, though that doesn’t seem too concerning to the Yanks. Rivera reports that Cabrera has been practicing his work at first, getting a nod of approval from infield coach Travis Chapman.

There could be reinforcements coming for the outfield as well, with Harrison Bader inching closer to his Yankee debut. Acquired from the Cardinals on deadline day, Bader was on the IL at the time with plantar fasciitis and hasn’t been able to officially don the pinstripes just yet. He is going to start a rehab assignment today, though only serving as designated hitter initially. “It’s really just a matter of getting on a baseball field, checking off boxes in terms of feeling comfortable physically at game speed, and once those are checked, I’m going to go and be a winning player for this team,” Bader said.

Giving more details about the rehab, Boone said that Bader will DH today for the Double-A Somerset Patriots, who then have an off-day on Monday, with Bader building up after that. “It’ll probably be at least a week,” Boone said. “If we get through that week, and the buildup is going fine, he could be in play then when we start the homestand.” The homestand Boone referred to begins on September 20, which would give Bader a chance to contribute over the final two weeks of the regular schedule.

As for the pitching staff, the Yanks could have many options over the horizon, as a whole fleet of arms are rehabbing and nearing a return. Aroldis Chapman, Miguel Castro and Zack Britton are all scheduled to pitch for the Patriots today, with Chapman and Castro potentially returning for the same homestand as Bader. Scott Effross isn’t quite at the rehab stage but is gearing up to it. Additionally, Luis Severino is ready for launch but will make one more rehab start since the big league club has a couple of off-days that negate the need for his services in the short term.

The health of all these players, and the roster in general, will be hugely important for the Yankees in the final few weeks of the season. Not so long ago, it seemed that they were in cruise control, leading the AL East by as much as 15 1/2 games in July. This pile of injuries has helped slow the team down and whittle their lead over the Rays to just 4 1/2 games as of today, with the Jays just half a game behind Tampa. With just over three weeks left in the regular season, the Yanks will be hoping to fend off their competitors and keep the division title, which would be hugely important for their postseason chances. Whoever wins the East will almost certainly get a bye through the first round, whereas those who settle for a Wild Card slot will have to survive a best-of-three series to stay alive.

Yankees Place Aroldis Chapman On 15-Day Injured List

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7:06PM: The Yankees officially placed Chapman on the 15-day IL, retroactive to August 24.

6:14PM: The Yankees will place left-hander Aroldis Chapman on the 15-day injured list due to a leg infection, manager Aaron Boone told the YES Network’s Jack Curry (Twitter links) and other reporters.

Chapman last pitched on August 19, and Boone said part of that layoff has been due to the reliever’s battle with an infection that developed after Chapman got a leg tattoo.  Boone stated that he believes Chapman will pitch again this season, but the lefty will now be out until at least the second week in September, even accounting for a few days of backdating on his IL placement.

The unusual injury adds to what has been a tough season for Chapman, who already missed over five weeks due to left Achilles tendinitis.  By the time Chapman returned to the active roster, Clay Holmes had taken over as New York’s closer, leaving Chapman relegated to lower-leverage roles rather than even a solid set-up job.  Since beginning his season with 10 1/3 scoreless innings, Chapman has struggled to a 7.08 ERA over his last 20 1/3 innings of work.

Even with Chapman far less than his usual effective self, his IL placement is another hit to a bullpen that has suddenly been crushed by injuries over the last couple of months.  Holmes may be back from his own IL stint within a few days’ time, but Holmes and Chapman are joined by Scott Effross, Miguel Castro, Zack Britton, and Albert Abreu on the injured list, while Michael King and Chad Green have already been ruled out for the rest of the season.  Wandy Peralta and Lucas Luetge are the only remaining left-handers in New York’s relief corps now that Chapman is out.

The Yankees entered Saturday’s action with a comfortable 8.5-game lead in the AL East, as an ongoing five-game winning streak has eased some concerns after a mediocre stretch of play since the All-Star break.  Getting some of those injured relievers back before the playoffs will further bolster New York’s chances in October, but in Chapman’s case, the question must be asked whether the Yankees could conceivably leave him off a playoff roster altogether.

While Chapman is a seasoned playoff performer with a 2016 World Series ring to show from his time with the Cubs, he’ll need to return in good health and then deliver some consistent outings in September to clinch his spot for the postseason.  This is also the last season of Chapman’s three-year, $48MM contract, so a platform for free agency is also undoubtedly on Chapman’s mind.

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.

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