Ahead of the New York Yankees facing off against the Milwaukee Brewers, the team announced that relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman was finally returning from the injured list. Chapman had been dealing with a leg infection stemming from a tattoo he received several weeks ago, with his last appearance coming against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 19.
Per the Yankees:
- Returned from rehab and reinstated LHP Aroldis Chapman (#54) from the 15-day injured list.
- Designated RHP Ryan Weber for assignment.
Chapman had put together a solid month of August, hosting a 3.68 ERA over 7.1 innings of action. His production began to deteriorate over his final two outings, giving up three earned runs over one inning of play.
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The Yankees haven’t seen the best version of Aroldis Chapman this year:
On the season, Chapman is arguably having one of his worst years as a professional. At 34 years old, he hosts a 4.70 ERA, 4.87 xFIP, 10.27 strikeouts per nine, and 73.6% left on-base rate over 30.2 innings. His velocity has decreased almost an entire mile per hour and his strikeouts are down considerably, in fact, he’s producing the lowest amount of strikeouts in his career.
Nonetheless, having a strong lefty relief pitcher is always a benefit and Chapman was looking solid before the leg infection began to irritate him.
With Chapman taking a roster spot, the Yankees designated bullpen arm, Ryan Weber, for assignment. Weber, 32, has pitched 10.2 innings this year for the Yankees across five games. He’s actually been quite effective, earning a 0.84 ERA, with just 2.53 strikeouts per nine rate. However, his 60.6% ground ball rate was solid and showcased the weak contact he curates.
Nonetheless, the Yankees are getting healthier, and returning Chapman is a step in the right direction.