New York Yankees Set Date For Impact Reliever's Return

The Yankees are getting a much-needed bullpen reinforcement down the stretch.

Jun 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ian Hamilton (71) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are getting a desperately-needed addition to the bullpen.

Right-hander Ian Hamilton, who has been on the injured list since June 18 with a right lat strain, is expected to be activated on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Greg Joyce of the New York Post was the first to report on the return of the 29-year-old reliever.

Ian Hamilton is set to be activated off the IL tomorrow.

Nestor Cortes in all likelihood will piggyback Clarke Schmidt tomorrow.

— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) September 6, 2024

It is worth mentioning that Hamilton suffered a temporary setback during his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, as he was scratched from what could have been his last rehab appearance on August 30 with back spasms. However, the righty would recover fairly quickly and his last outing was rescheduled for Wednesday; he proceeded to retire all five batters he faced. Hamilton was perfect in his rehab assignment, pitching four perfect innings in three appearances across the Double-A Somerset Patriots and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The 29-year-old Hamilton enjoyed a breakout 2023 season, in which he pitched in a career-high 39 games; despite some control issues (10.9% walk rate), he struck out 28.9% of the batters he faced with a 2.64 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and 1.22 WHIP, on his way to climbing manager Aaron Boone's bullpen trust tree.

2024 hasn't been particularly kind to Hamilton, as his ERA (4.55), FIP (3.32), and WHIP (1.58) have all increased, in addition to two separate stints on the IL. Nonetheless, his swing-and-miss rates have remained excellent (35.1% chase and whiff rates, 22.1 strikeout percentage), which is something the current Yankee relief corps desperately needs.

New York's bullpen in general has been in a state of flux; due to Clay Holmes's ineffectiveness as closer, the Bronx Bombers are going with a "closer by committee" approach. Despite Hamilton's less-than-ideal numbers this year, his prowess at generating whiffs could make him a legitimate option to consider in the role; even if he isn't part of this expected closing rotation, Hamilton's skillset should still help bring stability to the bullpen in other high-leverage areas.