As the New York Yankees look to add to their bullpen, they recently had a core reliever take a step in the right direction. Two-time All-Star Zack Britton threw his first minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday.
Britton threw for the first time in 11 months following Tommy John surgery. He pitched in Class A for the Tampa Tarpons.
In Wednesday night’s assignment, Britton threw 15 pitches and recorded two outs against both batters he faced. His sinker was reportedly up to 93 MPH. He completed the outing with no reported issues.
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The two outs recorded by Britton in this one were a strikeout and groundout. In terms of when his next minor league outing will be, nothing has been established yet. Nonetheless, this was an important step for the 34-year-old.
The Yankees are hoping Britton can make an impact in September:
The Yankees are reportedly hoping for a return from Britton at some point in mid-September. To get back a bullpen pitcher with a 2.88 ERA in 2018, 1.91 in 2019, and 1.89 in 2020 could make a significant difference.
Currently, the Yankees sit atop the AL East by 7.5 games with a 76-48 record. They trail the Houston Astros for the top seed in the American League by just 3.5 games. With their struggles as of late, to solidify the bullpen late in games with a proven, successful reliever in Britton added to the mix would be great.