NEW YORK – The Yankees are pinning their hopes for a deep postseason run upon strong starting pitching and improving health, two departments that may have absorbed a hit when Ryan Weathers walked off the mound on Saturday afternoon.
Weathers’ breakout season was interrupted by left forearm discomfort following a fourth-inning pitch in the Yankees’ 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. The left-hander was sent for imaging, with results expected this weekend.
“He has been incredible for us the whole year,” said catcher Austin Wells. “Obviously, we’re hoping for good news. Hopefully he doesn’t miss any time. We’re saying some prayers, for sure.”
Weathers’ 72nd and final pitch of the afternoon was a 78.4 mph sweeper to Myles Straw that missed the zone. He left the field with an athletic trainer, with manager Aaron Boone summoning right-hander Yerry De los Santos.
“You don’t love any time when a pitcher leaves the game, obviously,” Boone said. “We’ll see what we have.”
George Springer and Charles McAdoo stroked run-scoring hits off Weathers, who permitted eight hits and struck out three without a walk.
Held hitless by Dylan Cease into the seventh inning, the Yanks’ bats stirred late. Wells stroked a run-scoring single in the seventh, chasing Cease, who is challenging Cam Schlittler for the American League Cy Young Award.
After Nathan Lukes responded with a homer off Bradley Hanner, Luis García Jr. reached the second deck in right field with his 26th home run in the eighth inning, the first long ball surrendered this season by sidewinding Tyler Rogers.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled off Louis Varland to open the bottom of the ninth, advancing to third base with two outs as the potential tying run, but Trent Grisham struck out to end the game.
“On a day when we were getting shut down, we kind of hung in there,” Boone said. “Tough one in the end, but I liked the fight all the way through.”
Acquired from the Marlins this past offseason, Weathers has set career highs in strikeouts (143), innings pitched (137 1/3) and starts this year, pitching to a 3.60 ERA. He entered Saturday’s start with a 2-0 record and a 1.94 ERA over his past seven starts (since July 10).
“I think getting ahead of guys with his offspeed and fastballs, increasing the use of his sinker has really helped a lot, getting him deeper into games,” Wells said. “He’s been able to put guys away. He’s done a really good job this year. Hopefully it’s nothing serious and we get him back.”
Starting pitching has been one of the Yankees’ biggest strengths as they aim to catch the division-leading Rays in the American League East race, despite injuries to key stars like Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Bellinger will be back on Sunday, but the Yankees announced Saturday that Stanton sustained a left calf strain after falling while running the bases earlier this week – a setback that might dash Stanton’s hopes of returning this season.
“It’s been a long season; we play 162 games,” Chisholm said. “That’s a lot, man. You get banged up in this game. I’ve had a lot of seasons where I’ve gotten hurt. This game does not hold anybody’s hand.
“It just sucks for us that it’s most of the team over here. … The IL team is great, just to say. To have them back would be a huge boost to everyone’s morale.”
Max Fried is also on the injured list with a left elbow bone bruise, but he tossed a bullpen session on Saturday and could be activated in the minimum 15 days.
“He said it was normal, felt good,” Boone said. “Hopefully we’re moving in a good direction there.”
There had been speculation that, upon Fried’s return, either Weathers or Will Warren could be ticketed for the bullpen – a plan that now seems fluid. Wells mentioned Clarke Schmidt and rookie Elmer Rodríguez as two hurlers who could help down the stretch.
Boone expressed confidence that the pitching staff will shoulder the load.
“You never want significant pieces to go down, but that’s part of it,” Boone said. “I feel like we’re throwing the ball incredibly well, and we expect to continue to do that. In the short term, that creates an opportunity for someone else. We’ve had people step up all year. We’ll need to do it again.”