Ryan Weathers's Injury Update Has Overlooked Postseason Implications for Yankees

A lot has been said about Aaron Judge's injury news, and rightfully so. The Yankees have had a listless offense since he went down in June.

The Yankees have another injury update worth tracking, and that comes in the form of Ryan Weathers. Weathers went down with an elbow strain at the end of August after a start against the Blue Jays, and the hope was that he would return and contribute in the bullpen.

According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, though, Weathers won't be returning in the regular season. The postseason is still on the table, but even that could be up in the air depending on how he recovers (h/t SNY's Phillip Martinez).

"We'll see what our needs are and how (Weathers) looks, and if we feel like he's ready to come in and be a contributor," Boone said about his sidelined pitcher.

Losing an important bullpen piece

Without a definitive answer, Weathers's situation could go in either direction. He threw a side session on Saturday, and if that goes well, he could return for the playoffs, but likely without a rehab assignment since the minor league season ends on Sept. 20.

Ryan Weathers looks on. — The Yankees are hoping that Ryan Weathers can still be a playoff contributor, even if he won't rejoin the team for the end of the regular season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Weathers news is super impactful. He has the ability to throw in the high-90s with wicked breaking stuff.

That pitch mix would play up as a reliever, and if any starter joined the bullpen, he would have made the biggest difference. Way more than Will Warren or Luis Gil. Weathers can dominate batters in a way those two just can't—especially with his sweeper.

Weathers has a 25.2% strikeout rate on the season. His sweeper is especially devastating, boasting a 38.8% whiff rate and a 29.1% putaway rate, according to Baseball Savant, as shown how impactful it can be in the video below (h/t Rob Friedman).

Ryan Weathers, Wicked 85mph Sweeper...and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/T96ZuZt126
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 9, 2026

On top of that, if healthy, Weathers could have given the Yankees length in relief. It could have been the type of quality innings in high-leverage situations that Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow gave the Dodgers last year in their World Series run.

That's not to say Warren can't do that, too. When he's on, he has solid strikeout stuff, too. It's clear, though, that between him and Weathers, Weathers is the better pitcher.

If there was one hopeful sign heading into the postseason, it was Weathers joining the bullpen. There could have been opportunities for Cam Schlittler to hand the ball off to him, giving the Yankees a sort of impenetrable wall on the mound.

Now it's unclear if Weathers will even return, as well as what a potential postseason absence would mean for the Yankees.

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