Ex-reliever accuses Yankees of dumping him after Tommy John

An ex-Yankees reliever, who is with the Blue Jays now, has accused his former team of abandoning him post-Tommy John Surgery.

The most recent memory of Chad Green in the Bronx involves him being taken out of a game due to forearm soreness in May 2022. Just a week later, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, which marked the end of his seven-year stint as one of the Yankees’ most dependable relief pitchers. On Wednesday, he made a comeback to Yankee Stadium, but this time, he was playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Chad Green stated through Gary Phillips of The New York Daily News that coming in from the opposing side is a unique experience. He added that he was certainly eager to be back and really looking forward to pitching to the Yankees.

“Walking in on the other side, it’s just different,” the ex-Yankees pitcher said. “I’m definitely excited to be back. Definitely looking forward to pitching here.”

Chad Green’s Yankees career ended with an injury

The right-handed pitcher, who signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Blue Jays last winter, acknowledged that he occasionally checks the scoreboard to see how his former team is performing. Chad Green also suggested that the decision not to return to New York after becoming a free agent at the end of the last season might not have been entirely up to him.

The Yankees don’t typically sign a player who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, especially not for the kind of contract that Toronto ultimately presented to him.

Chad Green mentioned that he made a connection and understood that his time with the Yankees had probably come to an end at that point. The former Yankees reliever further explained that he had some informal discussions with the Yankees during the winter, but it seemed they weren’t strongly interested in re-signing him.

Chad Green was known as one of the Yankees’ most reliable relief pitchers throughout his time with the team. He joined the Yankees through a trade with the Tigers during the 2015-2016 offseason. Across seven seasons, he had a 3.17 ERA in 271 appearances. Prior to being sidelined by forearm soreness in a game against the Orioles, he maintained a 3.14 ERA in 13 appearances. A week later, Chad Green decided to undergo Tommy John surgery, which prevented him from pitching in a major league game until September of this year.

Getting back in Toronto

When Chad Green learned that he required Tommy John surgery in May 2022 while playing for the Yankees, he thought that his baseball career had come to an end. He was on the verge of becoming a free agent, which made the injury’s timing particularly unfortunate. However, the Blue Jays decided to take a chance on Green, signing him with the expectation that he might strengthen their bullpen during a postseason run.

Currently, with Toronto holding onto a wild-card spot in the American League, Chad Green’s season is still in its early phases.

Since his debut on September 1, the ex-Yankees pitcher has participated in eight games, achieved a 7.36 ERA, and recorded eight strikeouts. On certain occasions, he had good days that were reminiscent of his time with the Yankees, where he had a 3.17 ERA and an average of 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 272 appearances.

According to Blue Jays manager John Schneider, in his recent performances, Chad Green has been throwing the ball exceptionally well and appears to be resembling the Chad Green that they saw during his time in New York for many years.

The ex-Yankees reliever had undergone a transformation as a pitcher as well. His fastball has always had a combination of rise, cut, and speed. Yet this season, he has been using his curveball at a rate of 38 percent, which is the highest he’s ever used it in his career.

Former teammate Tommy Kahnle shared that Chad Green was a pitcher who entered the game and consistently threw strikes, especially with his fastball. This made him nearly impossible to hit. He also mentioned that it was enjoyable to watch him pitch.

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