The New York Yankees are heading towards the playoffs and require more pitching support, which is where Dellin Betances and Jordan Montgomery will make their mark.
Montgomery, who has missed the entire season up to this point, will be a massive addition for the playoffs given his ability to feature as a bullpen arm and supplement the injury to CC Sabathia. With the veteran suffering from knee inflammation, Jordan will provide the Yankees value in regards to injuries and fatigue.
You could make the argument that Betances will be even more impactful, despite suffering from a shoulder impingement injury. With a 2.70 ERA last season, the Yankees relief pitcher could be exactly what they need in the bullpen to grind out wins and help the starters finish games.
However, I believe that Montgomery will be the more valuable player given his diversity and the multiple roles he can play. He also adds a lefty arm to the grouping. Recovering from Tommy John surgery will limit his usage, essentially ruling him out as a consistent starter, but he could serve as a potential opener.
How the New York Yankees could use their injured pitchers differently:
Both Mongomery and Luis Severino could be utilized in the opener role, similar to Chad Green in the regular season, minimizing their usage and allowing them to take the team two/three innings before bringing in a starter. While experimenting with that utilization might not be the best idea during the playoffs, it could certainly work, unless the Yankees feel that they’re better of suited for the bullpen.
Stretching out two pitchers who haven’t tossed pitches at all this season at the top level is not a good idea, which leaves the Bombers with only two options — opening or coming in as relief options. Manager Aaron Boone could surely use the help in that facet as Nestor Cortes Jr., Tommy Kahnle, Chad Green, and Luis Cessa have struggled at times. Adding Jordan to the group would make them dangerous, heading into the elimination rounds.