The Yankees bullpen has been excellent in 2020, but the return of Aroldis Chapman will only increase Aaron Boone’s late-inning options.
Aroldis Chapman’s wait to rejoin the New York Yankees has nearly come to an end. In the midst of New York losing a number of talented sluggers to the Injured List, Aaron Boone is poised to get his closer back on the active roster.
The organization plans to add the Cuban reliever to the active roster on Monday. Chapman has been at the Yankees’ alternate site for the better part of the last week building up his arm strength after missing the beginning of the regular season due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
The Yankees almost have Chapman back
Chapman wanted to rejoin the major league team right away after finishing up his quarantine, but the organization wisely exercised caution in his brief rehabilitation stint. Sending him to Scranton allowed Chapman to throw several simulated outings to iron out any issues in his mechanics stemming from his period of relative inactivity.
Zack Britton had dominated the opposition as the Yankees’ closer in Chapman’s absence, but now he can be deployed as a valuable weapon in the 7th or 8th inning as a setup reliever. In truth, the Yankees haven’t really missed Chapman during his absence.
Boone and his coaching staff will still be pleased to see him back in the Bronx. Losing Tommy Kahnle to Tommy John surgery took away one of the team’s most trusted late-inning options. Adding Chapman back to the bullpen mix will take pressure off of relievers like Britton, Adam Ottavino, and Chad Green to pitch as many innings for the foreseeable future.
The minute Chapman returns, he’ll become the Yankees’ top option to finish off games in the ninth. His return won’t make up for the sluggers missing from Boone’s lineup, but he will make the team’s bullpen even more dominant than it’s been in 2020.