Yankees News: Aroldis Chapman on IL with Tattoo-related Leg Infection

Sunday August 28, 2022

In the latest bad news for Aroldis Chapman‘s disappointing 2022 season, the New York Yankees put their former closer on the 15-day injured list because a new tattoo on Chapman’s leg gave him what manager Aaron Boone called “a pretty bad infection.”

Boone said before Saturday’s game against the Oakland Athletics that the left-handed reliever would be put back on the injured list with a severe leg infection for the second time this season. With Achilles tendinitis, Chapman missed 35 games from May 24 to June 30.

[Chapman’s] got an infection in his leg right now. We’re hoping we’d kind of knock it out and be able to take care of it the last couple days, but it’s still significant enough, from a tattoo he recently got; he’s got a pretty bad infection in there, Boone explained before Saturday’s game against the A’s. He was actually at the hotel yesterday [Friday], still back at the hotel now. We’re treating him with antibiotics and things like that. So he’s got an infection that he’s dealing with that’s going to force him on the IL.

Chapman was with the team at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday for the first game of the four-game series against the Athletics, but he couldn’t pitch because his leg pain was getting worse.

We’re treating him with antibiotics and things like that, Boone added. Hopefully he’s good in several days. We can backdate this a few days, but we have to get our arms around it and get the infection out of there. It’s gotten a little bit worse over the last two days.

ESPN reported that the Yankees are concerned about Chapman’s leg infection and may take him to a hospital near their hotel in San Francisco.

Boone said Chapman’s decision to get a tattoo during the season did not endanger his health.

I don’t have tattoos. That’s a personal choice [but] usually a pretty safe thing to deal with, Boone said. This is more of an unfortunate situation that has turned into an infection. My focus is on trying to get him right and help him.

In Chapman’s 19 appearances since he came off the injured list on July 1, opposing batters have hit .164 (9-for-55) in nine innings. Chapman’s last game was August 19 against Toronto. In 36 games this season, he has a 4.70 earned run average.

Boone said it would have been logistically impossible to get a player to Oakland in time for Saturday’s game without a taxi squad. Clay Holmes is expected to return before Monday’s series in Anaheim.

We’ll just kind of monitor the situation today, Boone said of whether the Yankees would call another pitcher up for Sunday’s series finale in Oakland. If we need someone for tomorrow, we’ll maybe cross that bridge.

Jose Trevino said “I’m good” after being hit by a 94 mph fastball on his right big toe during the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Athletics on Friday.

Getting hit by a baseball hurts; shake it off and come back, Trevino said of having to deal with the soreness on his right toe.

Kyle Higashioka replaced Trevino in the ninth inning Friday and Saturday. Boone said Trevino would likely only be available “in an emergency” for the series’ third game, adding that Higashioka would likely start behind the plate.

And according to Boone, Trevino is still in a lot of pain; however, the team is feeling encouraged after the negative results of the X-rays.