Zack Britton to Aaron Boone: 'I don't deserve to be out there in the ninth inning'

CHICAGO — The Yankees were likely to make the move regardless, but Zack Britton made it easy on them.

After allowing Tim Anderson's walk-off two-run homer in Thursday’s 9-8 loss to the White Sox in Dyersville, Iowa, in the ''Field of Dreams'' Game, the lefthander approached Aaron Boone.

"I told him I don’t deserve to be out there in the ninth inning," Britton said before the White Sox series continued Saturday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. "Other guys deserve it. I haven’t been pitching the way I should be to be out there when the team needs wins."

While speaking with the media, Britton used an expletive to describe exactly how he’s been pitching in 2021. With Aroldis Chapman on the injured list with left elbow inflammation, he has been serving as the closer, but he entered Saturday night with a 6.32 ERA in 18 appearances and had walked 12 in 15 2/3 innings.

Said Britton, "I told him I want to pitch, whenever you need me I’ll be ready, but I don’t deserve to be out there in those situations."

Britton’s 2021 never really got underway. He had COVID-19 in January, which caused him to lose significant weight (18 pounds) and put him slightly behind other Yankees pitchers physically when spring training began in February. Britton then missed the first part of the season while recovering from surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow.

"Just physically not where I normally am at this stage of the season, but [I still] have to find a way to get outs," Britton said. "I have to find a way to get outs with where I’m at physically right now because it’s just where I’m at. Just need to figure out how in the future I can get back to the top level of pitching that I want to be at."

In saying COVID and the surgery "plays a factor" in his performance, Britton said "at this stage, it’s just an excuse that’s holding me back, and I have to figure out a way to pitch with where I’m at."

He added: "You’ve got to get outs, regardless of how you’re feeling, velocity being down . . . I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s not always about the best stuff, the most velocity to get outs. It’s about executing pitches, and I’m not doing a good job of that right now. And I’m capable of doing it."

Speaking before Saturday’s game, Boone said Jonathan Loaisiga or Chad Green probably will be his two options to close.

"It’s going to be dependent on each and every night," he said. "That just kind of remains a fluid situation, but we’ll continue to try and get Britt into more situations where we feel like he can be really successful. I still think he’s going to play a huge role for us as we go down the stretch here, and we have to get him back to that point all the way."

Cole, Montgomery soon

Boone said Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, both on the COVID-19 injured list since Aug. 3, came through their bullpen sessions Friday just fine and are likely to be activated early this week.

Gil vs. Boston

Luis Gil, the Yankees’ 21-year-old righty pitching prospect who was terrific in his first two starts, likely will start one of Tuesday’s doubleheader games against the Red Sox at the Stadium. Gil has allowed no runs in 11 innings.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.