On the same day that the Yankees put Aroldis Chapman on the 15-day disabled list with a leg infection caused by a tattoo, Zack Britton left his second rehab appearance with Low-A Tampa because of a leg cramp.
It’s hot and humid down here,’ Britton said in an email. Arm feels great though. Whole body is getting back into playing shape.
The Yankees are still hoping that Britton will be able to come back to their bullpen for the rest of the season.
Aaron Boone said last week that he would need about eight or nine rehab games to be back in The Bronx. On Saturday, he played his second rehab game.
Chapman’s terrible season got even worse when he was put on the IL for a second time. He will be out until at least Sept. 8.
No other moves were made because the Yankees expect Clay Holmes to come back from the disabled list on Monday in Anaheim.
Boone said that Chapman’s infection had gotten worse since Thursday, when it first became a problem before the first game of the series against Oakland.
Even though it was a bad injury, Boone said he hopes Chapman will be fine in “a few days” and be able to play again when he’s ready. Since Chapman’s time in IL was moved back to Wednesday, he can come back on September 8.
When asked if he was upset that Chapman would get a tattoo during the season and put himself at risk of something going wrong, Boone said that his focus was on “getting him right.”
It’s a personal choice, Boone said. Usually it’s a safe thing, but it’s turned into an unfortunate situation that it’s turned into an infection.
Chapman had not pitched since August 19, when he faced Toronto and gave up one run on one hit, two walks, and only one out.
He also walked two people and gave up two runs in the game two days before that one.
Chapman had gone nine innings without giving up a run before these two games. The Yankees no longer trust the former closer in any kind of high-pressure situation because of these two games.
Britton and Chapman are both in the last year of their contracts with the Yankees, and it’s not clear what will happen to them after that.
Britton had a version of Tommy John surgery that he hoped would let him come back in a year, and Chapman is on the IL for the second time this season. He missed 35 games earlier in the year with left Achilles tendinitis.
Holmes had already taken Chapman’s job as closer earlier in the year, before the right-hander had his own control problems after the All-Star Game.
The Yankees and Boone are currently using a strategy called “closer by committee.” Wandy Peralta has gotten the last two saves.
But because they couldn’t get another pitcher to the West Coast in time for Saturday’s game, the Yankees could be short-handed in the bullpen for three straight games. This is on top of the fact that Greg Weissert just had a terrible MLB debut and Luke Bard hasn’t played with the team yet since being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
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