Despite the Yankees already losing Frankie Montas for what seems to be the entire 2023 season, they are getting healthier at several other positions, notably in the bullpen. The Yankees struggled to maintain Ron Marinaccio‘s health last season, dealing with a shin injury that limited his contributions down the stretch. They also lost Luis Gil to Tommy John early in the year, but he should be able to make a full recovery at some point this upcoming season.
On paper, the Yankees have a strong bullpen, and with Marinaccio seemingly close to 100%, expectations are they will rely heavily on his services. Luckily, he’s gearing up to face-off against hitters next week and should be good to go for Opening Day.
Ron Marinaccio (shin) said that he is scheduled to face hitters next week. He has thrown from the mound five times and expects to be ready for Opening Day.
Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
The Yankees have big hopes for Ron Marinaccio:
At 27 years old, Marinaccio pitched 44 innings last year, enjoying a 2.05 ERA, 4.06 xFIP, and 11.45 strikeouts per nine. He was one of the Yankees’ top young relief pitchers, putting himself in a position to compete for high-leverage opportunities early on in his MLB career. This was the first time he ever reached the majors, and it seems like he will stick around for the foreseeable future, given his performance.
In fact, after losing Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman, and Miguel Castro this off-season, the Yankees’ youth movement in the bullpen is certainly a focal point.
The Yankees are also high on Luis Gil:
However, the anticipated return of Gil this season is also exciting. The flamethrower is only 24 years old and has about 33 innings of action to his name. He pitched just four innings last year before going down but enjoyed 29.1 innings in 2021, hosting a 3.07 ERA and 11.66 strikeouts per nine.
Luis Gil (Tommy John) has been throwing from over 100 feet for a little while; hopes to throw his first bullpen since TJ early this spring, but there is no date set on the schedule, as of yet.
Per Marly Rivera of ESPN.
While there is no set timetable for his return just yet, the Yankees are optimistic about his progress and should be able to make an impact in a few months. With his fastball averaging out at about 97.2 mph, that number could dip a bit after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Nonetheless, he’s an exciting young player for the Bombers, and they have high hopes for him.
Looking at the bullpen in general, the number of young players expected to rise to the occasion is certainly interesting, but they have all the talent in the world to exceed projections.