The Yankees lost again on Monday, but that was through no fault of starting pitcher Ryan Weathers who had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning before a leadoff single began the rally that ultimately put them behind for good. Weathers was removed with no chance at being charged with the loss, having surrendered that hit and a walk with a groundout in-between them, but Brent Headrick finally cracked and allowed his inherited runners to score as he served up a go-ahead three-run blast to Coby Mayo as soon as he entered the game.
Weathers has been sensational in his role as the team’s fifth starter, but his time there may be coming to an end. Carlos Rodón made his return from the IL this weekend, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing three runs in a rusty debut, and Gerrit Cole will follow in the coming weeks as his rehab continues to progress. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried have locked down spots in the rotation, and Will Warren has taken a leap this year showcasing the potential to be a second homegrown starter for years to come. If the Yankees give Warren the nod to continue starting though, that leaves Weathers and his brilliant 3.00 ERA on the season on the outside looking in. Weathers was the expected choice to send into the bullpen at the start of the year, a journeyman finding his stride after a short stint in Miami showed promise but was cut short by injuries. Will the Yankees pull him from this role, and where do they utilize him best if they do send him into the ‘pen?
Transitioning a starter into a reliever midseason could allow the Yankees to use him as a long relief fireman, giving him multiple innings of work to keep him stretched out in case he needed to slide in for an emergency start. However, the team has been lacking in clutch relivers entering in late-inning scenarios, and converting a starter that has impressed in several deep outings into a weapon specifically for those late jams to bridge the gap to closer David Bednar could be on the table. The Yankees have a couple of guys that could assist in both categories, as Headrick has been relied on for a second inning multiple times already this year and he and Fernando Cruz have been stepping into the eighth inning with Camilo Doval struggling, but neither pitcher has fully grasped one role.
Perhaps that’s where Weathers’ future rests long-term this season, or perhaps he’ll be given a chance to stick around the rotation and Warren will be the one tested in such a scenario. What call would you make if you were in Aaron Boone’s shoes dealing with an overloaded rotation for a change? Personally, while I think Warren might be better suited to being thrusted into a setup man role temporarily a la Phil Hughes in the 2009 team’s title run, the team might not want to mess with his development as a potential mainstay of the rotation and let Weathers cover it instead.
Before the Yankees try to get even with the Orioles, there’s a couple things we have in store for you. Michael recaps the last week down in the minor leagues across all levels of the organization, and Andrew has the latest Rivalry Roundup covering what went down with the few other AL teams that took the field on Monday. Jeff gives the illustrious career of Yogi Berra some love on his 101st birthday, and Peter breaks down Trent Grisham’s clutch double that broke open the scoring against the Rangers in the latest At-Bat of the Week.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
Time: 6:35 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, MASN
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
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