Darren O'Day goes on injured list with strained rotator cuff; Yankees recall Michael King
Yankees relief pitcher Darren O'Day reacts after giving up a solo home run to Tampa Bay Rays' Joey Wendle during the ninth inning of an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, April 18, 2021. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Righthanded sidearmer Darren O’Day was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 30) with a strained right rotator cuff on Saturday and likely will miss a few weeks, Aaron Boone said.
The reliever had been dealing with a "cranky" shoulder for about a month, Boone said. The pain eased up in the middle of April but began bothering him again in recent days. Michael King was recalled from the alternate site to replace him.
"He’s dealt with this the last several years," Boone said. "This is enough to where it does require a few weeks shut down and hopefully with that, he can get this thing right and still be an important part of our bullpen moving forward."
King has been yo-yoed back and forth from the Yankees to the alternate site because of his available minor-league options but has performed very well when the Yankees have called on him. He has yet to allow a run in 11 innings and has given up four hits and four walks, striking out nine. He’s been used out of the bullpen and can start if needed, Boone said.
O’Day has a 3.00 ERA in nine innings, with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Extra bases
Luis Severino (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to face live hitters for the first time on either May 10 or 11, Boone said. Severino threw 35 pitches Thursday and was able to throw all of his pitches . . . Zack Britton (recovery from elbow surgery) threw 15 pitches off the mound Friday without incident . . . Aaron Hicks was hit in the foot by a pitch in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 victory over the Tigers on Saturday and was shaken up, though he stayed in the game . . . Aroldis Chapman struck out two in picking up his fifth save, giving him 22 strikeouts in nine innings this season.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
