The New York Yankees had a prime opportunity to get closer to the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, but they ended up dropping the series opener at Fenway Park 5-3, even though they had runners on first and second base with no outs in the ninth inning.
Left-handed reliever Zack Britton had recently returned from a long stint on the injured list, and by the look of things, it appears he may be headed there again for a while, although the team hasn’t updated his status.
Pitching yesterday, the Yankees’ setup man winced in pain after a pitch and had to leave the game. The team later confirmed that it’s a left hamstring injury.
The Yankees will hopefully have an update on Saturday
Britton’s injury occurred in the eighth inning of Friday’s game. His final pitch was a 2-2 offering to Hunter Renfroe that missed the strike zone, and then he hobbled off the mound and toward the visiting dugout, per MLB.com.
“We’ll know (Saturday) whether it’s a cramp or a strain, but it was in the hamstring area,†Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, according to NJ Advance Media. “Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious. We’ll have to see. But I definitely feel for Britt in that spot knowing what he’s been through to get back.
“I thought (Friday) he was probably throwing the ball as well as we’ve seen. I thought he was really crisp. I thought it was coming out really nice, the sink. He threw some good sliders.â€
Britton missed the Yankees’ first 63 of the 2021 season while recovering from March elbow surgery to remove a bone spur. He even suffered a minor setback during rehab that delayed his debut a little, but he eventually made it back. Now, the extent of his injury is unclear, but the team is expected to offer an update later on Saturday.
Will the Yankees’ bullpen be able to absorb another extended absence by Britton?