Yankees' Ryan Weathers could return this season
Yankees starting pitcher Ryan Weathers walks to the dugout with a trainer after being taken out of the game during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
After Saturday’s alarming exit, Ryan Weathers still could be back this season.
The Yankees lefthander has been diagnosed with a left forearm flexor strain. It landed him on the 15-day injured list before Sunday’s series finale against the Blue Jays but does not rule out a return, possibly as soon as late September.
Given the initial concern over a potentially more serious injury involving the elbow, such as a UCL issue, this was greeted with some measure of relief.
“Big picture, obviously, really good news,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday morning. “Try and let this thing calm down here and hopefully get him back in some capacity before the end.”
Weathers was in the midst of a stellar Yankees debut, with a 3.60 ERA and 143 strikeouts in a career-high 137 1/3 innings in 25 starts, but his workload had become a concern before Saturday’s scare. It is the most innings he’s thrown since 2021 for the Padres (94 2/3) and more than three times the total (38 1/3) from a year ago, when he was limited to eight starts with the Marlins because of forearm and lat muscle injuries.
Weathers had the same flexor strain toward the end of last year’s spring training with Miami, but he described the previous one as “more severe.” It required a shutdown from throwing for two to three weeks. This time around, he felt it prudent to remove himself from Saturday’s game in the fourth inning after throwing 72 pitches rather than risk the discomfort becoming a much bigger problem.
“It’s very low-grade,” Weathers said. “Just irritated more than anything. It was just weird [Saturday]. I had a really good work week last week. No issues. I really don’t know what happened.”
Losing Weathers is the latest setback for a Yankees rotation that led the majors with a 3.36 ERA entering Sunday, but help should be on the way.
Max Fried, who landed on the IL earlier this month with a recurrence of his elbow bone bruise, threw off a mound Saturday, and his return is anticipated as soon as early September. Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled for a live batting practice session Tuesday, and if that goes well, Boone said he’ll begin a rehab assignment.
With a healthy Fried, the rotation would be whole again, and Weathers could end up joining Schmidt in the bullpen later next month.
“Maybe,” Boone said. “But first things first is getting to the point where he’s in position to start throwing and then hopefully we’ll be able to build him up smoothly. Whatever capacity we can get him back in, he’s obviously an outstanding pitcher, so he can help us in some way.”
The Yankees recalled Brendan Beck from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Weathers’ spot on the roster. Will Warren is scheduled to start Tuesday’s series opener against the Astros and Gerrit Cole will pitch Thursday’s finale, but the Yankees have not yet listed a starter for Wednesday’s game.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
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