With the New York Yankees playing a doubleheader on Sunday, management had to dip into their depth to help mitigate fatigue. After Luis Gil suffered a UCL injury that will require Tommy John surgery, the Bombers lost their first alternate.
Unfortunately, Gil will miss the remainder of the season after showing great velocity but struggling with his location. In his absence, the Yankees will have to supplement the back-end of the starting rotation.
For Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees called upon JP Sears from their Triple-A affiliate, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
- Yankees’ super-utility man is seeing his numbers plummet back down to Earth
- Yankees’ $98 million slugger in the middle of another ice-cold stretch
- Yankees could see this interesting pitching prospect get an MLB promotion
JP Sears is the likely starting pitcher for Wednesday, Aaron Boone said. #yankees
— Bryan Hoch ?? (@BryanHoch) May 23, 2022
What does JP Sears bring to the Yankees?
Sears is a left-handed pitcher standing at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. At 26 years old, he has been dominant for Scranton the season, hosting a 0.83 ERA over 21.2 innings pitched. He has recorded 12.46 strikeouts per nine, a 78.6% left on base rate, and a 46.7% ground ball rate.
This year, he has made one relief appearance with the Yankees, lasting 2.0 innings, showcasing brilliant stuff. His strikeout rate sits at 38.5%. He hosts a 2.6% walk rate, the best in his entire career. Batters are hitting a measly .147 against him with a 1.12 FIP.
Looking at his sequence of pitches, Sears incorporates a fastball, slider, and change up. His FB sits at about 94.3 mph and a slider at 82.
JP was undoubtedly an interesting choice for manager Aaron Boone, who could’ve elevated Michael King to a starting role or called upon Clarke Schmidt. Schmidt has far more experience in the majors than Sears, totaling 16.1 innings, including 11 this year.
It is possible that the Yankees are looking to utilize Schmidt in a predominant relief role, supplementing the loss of Chad Green, who is also undergoing Tommy John surgery.
This week’s loss of several pitchers presents the first major hurdle for the Yankees this season. Luckily, they have the depth and talent to overcome them without skipping a beat. It really all depends on the production of their offense.