New York Yankees’ Zack Britton suffers elbow injury, out weeks

New York Yankees, Zack BRitton
Jul 28, 2018; New York City, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Zach Britton (53) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning during game two of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

It was only a matter of time before the New York Yankees began dealing with injuries, and with Clarke Schmidt already missing multiple weeks, the latest to hit the injured list is Zack Britton. The 33-year-old relief pitcher will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a bone chip from his left elbow. This is a significant blow, and the expectation is that he will miss at least six weeks.

With Opening Day on April 1, the Yankees will undoubtedly have to work without Britton for the first few weeks of the season.

Luckily, the Yankees have plenty of offensive firepower to supplement losses in the pitching rotation and bullpen. However, Britton is a significant one to lose, and it will take him a few weeks after recovery to get into the groove of things. The only silver lining is that the injury doesn’t require Tommy John surgery, which would’ve kept him out the entire 2021 season.