Another blow to the Yankees bullpen is that Mark Leiter Jr. will be out for a while.
Due to a stress fracture in his left leg, the right-handed reliever was placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday.
In the 11th inning of a June 24 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds, Leiter claimed he broke his fibular head while covering first base on an infield single by Elly De La Cruz.
Before Tuesday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners in the Bronx, Leiter remarked, “I felt a little pop.” Since it was reacting like a calf, we assumed it was my calf.
Leiter’s return date is still uncertain, as manager Aaron Boone stated the reliever would undergo more testing on Tuesday evening.
Since it’s a bone, Leiter stated that the bone must mend. I’m not entirely sure yet what that looks like.
Leiter was replaced on the roster by Clayton Beeter, a right-hander, who was called up by the Yankees.
After sustaining the fracture, Leiter missed six days of action, but he has since recovered and most recently recorded two outs in Sunday’s 6-4 victory over the Mets at Citi Field.
Before the ailment flared up during his warm-ups for Saturday’s game in Queens, he thought he was getting better.
Leiter claimed that his appearance on Sunday, when he struck a batter and gave a walk without allowing a run, was the first time the fracture made him feel vulnerable.
Leiter remarked, “I didn’t feel like myself.” I felt as though I was unable to reach the things I desired. “Let’s make sure we take a look at it and not push it any further,” the training staff intervened.
Leiter, 34, gave up five runs in his past four appearances, starting with the game he was injured, despite pitching to a 3.48 ERA in his previous 36 appearances, many of which were in high-leverage situations.
He is 4-6 overall, with two saves, 11 holds, and a 4.46 ERA.
Boone expressed hope that they could work out this issue and have him throwing as good as he did in the first few months of the season.
Along with Yerry De los Santos (elbow pain) and Fernando Cruz (oblique strain), Leiter is the most recent Yankees reliever to be placed on the 15-day injured list. Jake Cousins sustained a season-ending elbow injury last month, and Luke Weaver lost almost three weeks due to a hamstring problem.
Before Tuesday, the Yankees’ bullpen had a 4.84 ERA after 23 games, during which the team had a 7-16 record.
The Yankees bullpen had a 3.78 ERA in the first 67 games of the season.
Evidently, it’s been a difficult run, particularly with the volume of games and pitching people in many of them, Boone stated. We’ve relied heavily on Mark in the first half, and you’re depending on leverage guys. That has most likely somewhat caught up to us.
Boone mentioned the wounds. It makes things more difficult because it shortens you a little, but it also gives someone who isn’t necessarily expected or counted on to step up, get a position, and contribute significantly a chance.
Luis Gil (lat strain) has a strategy in place to start a rehabilitation assignment.
As a last step before starting to pitch in minor league games, the right-handed starter was supposed to throw a live bullpen session in Somerset on Tuesday.
He will begin his rehabilitation on Sunday and most likely be in that three [inning] and fifty [pitch] situation, Boone stated, if everything goes well there.
Although he wasn’t positive, Boone stated that he believed Gil would make his debut with Double-A Somerset.
Gil, 27, has been sidelined since he was diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain during spring training.
Gil’s return would strengthen a Yankees rotation lacking an ace. Clarke Schmidt, whom Boone stated over the weekend, probably needs Tommy John surgery as well, as does Gerrit Cole, who had Tommy John surgery in March that ended his season.
After pitching 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings, Gil was named the American League Rookie of the Year the previous season.
Gils said he was eager to return after throwing his first live bullpen session last month.
Through an interpreter, Gil stated, “You want to get back on the field as soon as you have an injury like this.” It’s about being out there with those men, competing, and supporting your team.
