The New York Yankees bullpen is being shuffled just days ahead of the playoffs. Ron Marinaccio was recently designated for assignment and claimed off the waivers by the Chicago White Sox. Besides, a couple of starting pitchers are also expected to land in the bullpen during the postseason.
However, the New York Yankees are also forced to tackle significant injury concerns as pitching depth continues to remain an issue for the team. Recently, the team cast doubt on two effective relief pitcher’s futures. While one is shut down, another reliever oozed confident of a return following positive MRI scans.
Jake Cousins Keeps Postseason Door Open Despite Injury
Relief pitcher Jake Cousins emerged from his MRI exam and a meeting with team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad with positive news regarding his health. The New York Yankees reliever was placed on the injured list on Sunday due to a right pectoral strain. However, following Monday’s imaging, Cousins reported that the results were “very encouraging” and did not show anything alarming, which raises hopes for his potential return by the start of the American League Division Series (ALDS) on October 5. “That’s the goal,” Cousins stated on Tuesday before the team lost to the Orioles 5-3 at home. He indicated that he would be taking a few days off from throwing to concentrate on strength exercises before resuming throwing activities.
Meanwhile, manager Aaron Boone suggested that Thursday might mark the day when Jake Cousins can start throwing again. If everything goes smoothly, he could progress to bullpen sessions and potentially face hitters by the following week. Notably, Cousins’ last appearance before his IL stint was on Saturday in Oakland, where he felt discomfort that led the New York Yankees to make the decision to place him on the injured list. He noted that during that outing, he wasn’t able to throw at full capacity, similar to a previous game in Seattle, where he had a brief six-pitch appearance before leaving the mound with a trainer. The timing of Cousins’ IL placement was strategic, as it is retroactive to Friday, meaning the earliest he can be activated is the first game of the ALDS. When healthy, Cousins is a crucial component of the team’s late-inning bullpen strategy. Hence, the Yankees will be closely monitoring his progress over the coming days.
Yankees Shut Down Key Reliever With Shoulder Injury
Days leading up to the playoffs, the New York Yankees were forced to shut down relief pitcher Lou Trivino for the season with an apparent shoulder injury. The pitcher hadn’t pitched in the major league since 2022 due to Tommy John surgery. But he was showing signs of improvement in his latest rehab outing.
However, this latest shoulder injury has halted his return. Manager Aaron Boone expressed disappointment over Trivino’s setback, acknowledging how valuable he could have been for the team in the playoffs. Notably, Trivino, acquired from the Athletics in 2022, has shown promise when healthy, but his time in New York has been marred by frequent injuries.
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