The Yankees placed two players on the injured list, with right-hander Ryan Weber heading to the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain, and outfielder Greg Allen going to the 10-day IL due to a right hip flexor strain. Utility man Oswaldo Cabrera and left-hander Nick Ramirez were called up from Triple-A to fill the spots on the active roster.
Weber told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce that he other reporters that he felt soreness last night during his two innings of work in the Yankees’ 8-4 loss to the Dodgers. An MRI will reveal what exactly could be wrong with Weber’s forearm and elbow area, and he and the Yankees can only hope that the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery isn’t the outcome.
Now in his ninth MLB season, Weber has spent the last two seasons in the Bronx on minor league deals. The 2022 season saw Weber constantly sent up and down to Triple-A in a flurry of DFAs and outrights, though 2023 has at least seen a bit more stability, as the Yankees didn’t select him to the big league roster until May 11, and Weber has remained on the 26-man until today.
Though Weber has tossed only 25 MLB innings between all of his moves on and off the roster, he has performed well when wearing the pinstripes, delivering a 2.16 ERA over those 25 relief frames. Never a big strikeout pitcher, Weber has only a 10.3% K% as a Yankee, but also a 51.8% grounder rate and a tiny 2.1% walk rate. While a small sample size, it does represent a nice big step up from Weber’s 5.28 ERA over 167 innings in his first seven seasons, and why Weber has continued to get looks from the Yankees despite the lack of missed bats.
Allen previously played for the Yankees in 2021, and he only made his return two weeks ago after a trade from the Red Sox. Allen’s encore in the Bronx has thus far seen him hit .214/.313/.571 over 17 plate appearances, as his three hits have included a home run and a triple.
It’s a nice start for a player acquired as outfield depth, but with Allen now on the IL, the Yankees will again turn to Cabrera to help out in their troubled left field position. While Aaron Judge is having his typically excellent season and Harrison Bader has been very good when healthy, left field has been a revolving door for New York, with seven different players already seeing at least some time in left this season. With Bader now on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, the Yankees’ outfield depth is further tested.