The New York Yankees are holding their breath after they received some extremely worrisome news on Tuesday morning. One of their most reliable relievers, Zack Britton, who struggled with COVID-19 in January, is awaiting the results on an MRI that was performed on his left elbow.
Britton, arguably the Yankees’ most reliable bullpen arm, experienced some soreness after throwing a bullpen and was sent for an MRI. Per manager Aaron Boone, the veteran left-hander will meet with a doctor today.
“Zack Britton recently told the NY Post he got hit pretty hard with COVID-19 in January, and his buildup has been delayed. Aaron Boone said we should know more about the situation with his sore elbow later today,†Lindsey Adler of The Athletic tweeted today.
Adler later clarified that the MRI was on Britton’s left elbow.
The Yankees managed to improve their bullpen even after losing Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, and Jonathan Holder in the past few months. They brought lefty Justin Wilson and righty Darren O’Day, both with plenty of experience in the bigs and excellent numbers.
The Yankees can’t afford to lose Britton
Yet, Britton is considered a very important piece in the bullpen puzzle for Boone. During the last playoffs, it became evident that the skipper only trusted him, Aroldis Chapman, and Chad Green to get important outs.
Other guys are expected to receive high-leverage innings in 2021, including the aforementioned Chapman, Green, O’Day, Wilson, and perhaps Luis Cessa and Jonathan Loaisiga. But the Yankees bullpen can’t afford to lose Britton for an extended period of time, especially thinking about a potential playoff run.
The results of the MRI are expected to come in the next few hours, and during that time, the Yankees’ universe will be holding its breath, hoping for a positive outcome of the whole situation.
Even if the elbow issue turns out to be nothing, the Yankees are taking things slow with their prized left-hander after his COVID-19 diagnosis in January.