The New York Yankees concluded their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a win, but it came with a harsh loss as well.
After experiencing some hamstring problems during the final game of the series, Luke Weaver is now expected to hit the injured list and could be out for more than a month. That puts the Yankees’ roster in a tough spot, as Weaver was serving as the team’s most reliable late-inning relief option.
“Yankees closer Luke Weaver could be out until mid-July, due to a strained hamstring,” Pete Caldera reported for NorthJersey.com. “Weaver, 31, has posted a 1.05 ERA in 24 games this season, with eight saves and a 0.701 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.”
Even after emerging as a budding bullpen star during the Yankees’ World Series run last year, Weaver was slated for a setup role when this season began. The Yankees acquired two-time Reliever of the Year Award winner Devin Williams in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers and expected Williams to serve as a shutdown closer.
Instead, Williams was a disappointment with a -0.5 WAR on the season so far. He seemed to struggle with the pressure of pitching in the Bronx, but now the Yankees are expected to give him another chance at closing games.
“That would put Devin Williams in line to return to the closer’s role, though manager Aaron Boone could use any number of relievers — including Mark Leiter Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga or Tim Hill — to get the final three outs on any given night,” Caldera added. “Williams, acquired in an offseason trade that sent Nestor Cortes to the Milwaukee Brewers, is a former All-Star who lost his closer’s role after a rough April that saw his ERA balloon to 11.25, though he’s generally performed well in a setup role since then.”
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After losing the final-inning duties, Williams has gotten his season ERA back down to 6.23, but it isn’t clear if he has really figured out a solution on the mound or if he’s just more comfortable with earlier innings. The Yankees could soon find out with Weaver on the mend.
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