How Yankees Can Combat Latest Adversity in Bullpen
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Clarke Schmidt made his long-awaited return to the Yankees' clubhouse in the Bronx on Monday, but it came at a cost.
Recalling Schmidt from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, New York placed recently-acquired reliever Scott Effross on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain, an injury manager Aaron Boone hopes is "not something too serious."
Still, Effross was supposed to be part of the solution in the bullpen for a pitching staff that's battled plenty of injury adversity of late.
The right-hander, acquired from the Cubs ahead of this month's trade deadline, had pitched to a 3.24 ERA over his first 8.1 innings with the Yankees. All three of his earned runs came on one swing, a three-run home run from Paul DeJong in St. Louis on August 7.
Effross now joins Clay Holmes (lower back spasms), Albert Abreu (elbow inflammation), Miguel Castro (shoulder strain) and Zack Britton (Tommy John surgery) on the IL. Key relievers Michael King (elbow fracture) and Chad Green (Tommy John surgery) are both out for the season as well.
"In the first half, we were blessed with probably the best run of non-injuries that I've ever experienced and then it finally hit us," general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Monday afternoon. "We just lost Effross for a period of time, but I think the bullpen has got a lot of different looks, a lot of different high-caliber players and I think the only difficult part which will sort itself out over time is who slots where and when."
Boone gave a glimpse into that process over the last two days, two wins for New York against talented opposition.
On Sunday, avoiding a four-game sweep against the Blue Jays, the Yankees leaned heavily on righty Lou Trivino, another trade deadline acquisition (brought in with starter Frankie Montas from the Athletics). The right-hander continued to pitch well in pinstripes, recording the final seven outs and earning his first win in a Yankees uniform.
The next day, beginning the second chapter of this year's Subway Series against the Mets, New York turned to right-handers Ron Marinaccio and Jonathan Loáisiga with a late lead.
Loáisiga got the save, his first in 2022, flashing the stuff that allowed him to have a breakout season last year. Marinaccio, meanwhile, continued his historic rookie campaign. The 27-year-old has now produced scoreless outings in 24 of his first 27 career appearances, the most scoreless appearances by a Yankees pitcher through their first 27.
It goes without saying that Sunday and Monday provided Boone and the coaching staff with an easier avenue to the final out. Andrew Benintendi's go-ahead blast and another strong performance from starter Nestor Cortes kept the game in New York's control through the end against Toronto. Then, Domingo Germán's stunning start combined with four runs against future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer put the bullpen in a position to succeed on Monday.
It's going to take all hands on deck in the 'pen going forward. Until certain arms return from the injured list, those three aforementioned relievers—along with left-handers Aroldis Chapman and Wandy Peralta—will need to continue stepping up in high-leverage spots. On paper, that group absolutely has what it takes to get the job done. It hasn't always been smooth sailing this year, though, especially for the likes of Chapman (4.70) and Loáisiga (5.76 ERA).
Schmidt, who had been building up as a starter in Triple-A, is poised to play a role late in games as well. Sure, he could make a spot start, but expect the right-hander in a versatile role more similar to the one King held before his injury. Schmidt could throw multiple innings out of the 'pen or come in with the game on the line to record one or two big outs.
If New York's bullpen can continue to pitch well—they still lead MLB with a 3.00 ERA in relief this season—then the uncertainty of who will serve as this team's closer on a daily basis won't loom as large.
“However we can get to the finish line, we’ll kind of piece it together the best we can while we get some guys back,” Boone explained. “Hopefully it is something that will declare itself over the next several weeks where guys can start to grab onto some roles and we can get a little more defined as we unfold over the next few weeks.”
MORE:
- Yankees Starting to See a Settled Andrew Benintendi
- Andrew Benintendi's First Yankees Home Run Gives New York Much-Needed Win Over Jays
- Frustration Reaches Tipping Point as Yankees Continue to Struggle
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