Aaron Boone told reporters earlier today that Luke Weaver could return to the Yankees as soon as tomorrow, as the right-hander will seemingly skip a rehab assignment to get right into big-league action.
The Yankees’ best reliever over the past two seasons, Weaver was placed on the IL following a win on Sunday Night Baseball against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He suffered a hamstring strain and was originally considered to be lost for more than a month, but he’ll return to the Bronx Bombers sooner than expected.
The right-hander threw live bullpen sessions at Yankee Stadium where he reported no issues with his hamstring , and the team had been hinting at an early return earlier in the week.
Luke Weaver is Close to Re-Joining the Yankees and the Closer Role is Up in the Air Again
Across 24 appearances this season, Luke Weaver has a 1.05 ERA and 25.5% strikeout rate, as he’s been the lockdown closer for the Yankees since Devin Williams lost the role earlier in the year.
The concern when the Yankees lost Weaver was that they would have to put Williams back in a role that he struggled to handle at first in the Bronx, but he’s settled in beautifully since.
Over his last 16 appearances, Devin Williams has a 1.84 ERA , striking out 35.1% of the batters he’s faced and walking just two hitters.
He had done a wonderful job converting saves as well, which leaves the question of whether the Yankees will keep Williams in his ninth inning role or move Weaver back into the closer spot.
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There’s an argument for both sides here; on one hand, the struggles that Devin Williams had have left a sour taste in the minds of fans, and the comfort Luke Weaver brings to the ninth inning is valuable.
That being said, we have an entire career sample size that dictates the ninth inning is one that the star closer dominates in, and for that reason I believe they’ll have Luke Weaver remain a set-up man.
One of the biggest selling points of Luke Weaver is his multi-inning versatility, which can help the team close out the final three innings of a baseball game while only using two relievers when necessary.
With Jonathan Loaisiga and Tim Hill settling in, the Yankees’ bullpen could be far more formidable in the coming weeks, putting pressure off of some guys who are scuffling like Fernando Cruz.
It’s a huge boost for this group, and the Yankees could get a jolt at a very important time since they’re playing their worst baseball yet.
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