New York Yankees: Luis Cessa is close to game-ready and could return this week

Sep 23, 2018; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luis Cessa (85) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees suffered a recent loss to their bullpen corps: Tommy Kahnle, one of the best and most reliable relievers on the team, will be sidelined for a long time following an elbow injury. That’s unfortunate, no doubt about it, but if there is a team in the major leagues that can absorb the blow of a reliever getting hurt, that team is the Yankees.

Lately, right-hander reliever Nick Nelson stole the show. In addition, the Yankees are getting good news on the injured Luis Cessa. The versatile Mexican is very close to being game-ready after missing the first week and a half of the season with a positive COVID-19 test.

According to Meredith Marakovits, Cessa is still at the New York Yankees’ alternative site in Scranton.  He threw a 40 pitch simulated game two days ago, and could be available to help the Bombers as soon as tomorrow.

Cessa is waiting to hear from the Yankees

Marakovits explained that Cessa told her he’s just “waiting to hear word from Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman.” She reports that he sounded unsure when he might rejoin the team, but it should be fairly soon.

While the Yankees will surely miss Kahnle for whatever long he’s absent, they can cope with the weapons they have at their disposal, but in the active roster and in the alternate training site. In addition, closer Aroldis Chapman is about to return to action, which will likely result in Zack Britton returning to his old setup role.

As far as Cessa concerns, he will try to replicate last season’s success upon his return. He wasn’t the most consistent of relievers, but he pitched 81.0 solid innings of a 4.11 ERA (4.87 FIP) with 8.33 K/9.

The key for Cessa was increasing the usage of his effective slider, to the point in which he throws it more often than the fastball. The Yankees liked the results, and the pattern will surely continue going forward.