There are two areas where the Yankees could really need help down the stretch, with the bullpen and infield being weaker points on the roster. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamilia01.shtml and Jon Berti are scheduled to begin rehab assignments with the Double-A Somerset Patriots, and these two could really help the Yankees in those areas. Hamilton struggled in the early parts of the season, but the right-hander was one of their best relievers in 2023 and ranked in the 99th Percentile in both Whiff Rate and Chase Rate before hitting the IL this season.
As for Jon Berti, he was red-hot upon his return from the IL the first time around, hitting .306 with a 116 wRC+ in May before stumbling and hurting his calf in San Diego. An excellent defensive infielder, the Yankees could get him in the infield mix with DJ LeMahieu struggling to do his job.
Ian Hamilton and Jon Berti Join the List of Rehabbing Yankees in Somerset
If you’re a Yankees’ prospect in Double-A, you have to be starstruck with the long list of Major Leaguers currently rehabbing with the team. Clarke Schmidt made a start yesterday with the Somerset Patriots, firing 3.1 innings with six strikeouts, with Anthony Rizzo getting the start at DH and Lou Trivino firing a scoreless inning as well in Friday night’s contest.
Cody Poteet made a start earlier in the week as well, and the Yankees are getting a laundry list of reinforcements back from the IL in the coming weeks. They just activated Jazz Chisholm off of the IL yesterday, and Luis Gil was seen throwing in the outfield before Old Timer’s Day, which is a great sign for his timeline back. The Yankees don’t believe his back tightness is too serious, but he will have to spend all 15 days on the IL before he’s eligible to return.
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Ian Hamilton could be a massive weapon in high-leverage situations, his high-whiff slider and two different fastballs allow him to throw hitters off their rhythm, but he didn’t look completely sharp in 2024. His command was not great and it made it difficult for him to execute in two-strike counts at the rate he did last season. There’s a spike in the line drive rate and a decrease in the groundball rate, which I think could be corrected with time off.
Jon Berti is an excellent defensive infielder who can handle himself extremely well at second and third base, even looking strong at shortstop when needed. The Yankees sorely need the infield depth, and while he can’t help them at first base, this is still a massive help for late-game defensive situations or pinch-running ones as well. Scott Effross is cleaning up his velocity in Triple-A, and if Trivino can get back online this bullpen could be a strength down the stretch.