The New York Yankees take a huge blow to their depth chart as both Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet will be placed on the IL with strains. Hamilton is dealing with a right lat strain and will be in a no-throw for 3-4 weeks, while Cody Poteet is dealing with a tricep strain and is expected to be shut down for 1-2 weeks. These are tough injuries for the Yankees’ pitching staff, as Hamilton was a relied-upon bullpen weapon and Poteet had been an excellent spot starter for their rotation.
As for their replacements, both Anthony Misiewicz and Clayton Andrews are being called up to fill in for the injured arms on the roster.
Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet Sidelined With Injuries, Yankees Call Up Depth Arms
Ian Hamilton had struggled in his return from the COVID-19 list, but that could be due to the lat strain he has now been diagnosed with. The right-hander was one of the best relievers in the Yankees’ bullpen last season, but this year his ERA has ballooned to 4.55 and his strikeout rate is down as well. This time off could hopefully allow him to get the rest he needs, but a four-week period without throwing will require four weeks to build up, which can essentially rule him out of the rest of the first half.
As for Cody Poteet, his injury seems to be a bit milder, and with Gerrit Cole coming back tomorrow, it was unlikely he would make that start anyway. The Yankees will have him in a 1-2 week shutdown which would require the same amount of time to build back up, so they’ll be without a depth starter for a good chunk of time as well. Will Warren stands as the last healthy starter in that rotation who is fully stretched out to come up, and he had a horrific month of May.
Anthony Rizzo was also placed on the IL officially, with Yankees PR stating that he could return in 8 weeks, which makes him a candidate to be placed on the 60-day IL. Ben Rice will come up to be his replacement, and he has a chance to become a serious impact bat for this lineup. As for more positive news, Scott Effross and JT Brubaker are expected to begin their rehab assignments tomorrow, and both could be impactful for this bullpen.
The body of work for Effross (when healthy) is great, and Brubaker was an interesting pick-up they made earlier this season. Tonight kicks off a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles as Nestor Cortes gets the ball with a chance to snap the Yankees’ two-game skid.