One Yankee pitcher is actually trending in the right direction

Not much is going right for the Yankees this season, but Michael King’s return to full health could help turn things around in the Bronx. 

The Yankees currently find themselves in the cellar of the American League East, but hope isn’t lost in New York. The re-emergence of Michael King as a weapon out of Aaron Boone’s bullpen could do wonders to turn the team’s season around.

To date, Boone and the higher-ups with the Yankees have resisted the temptation to use King in back-to-back games. In fact, they’ve been diligent about making sure he has multiple days off after every outing. His 2022 campaign was cut short due to elbow surgery and the organization is keen to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

The good news for Yankees fans is that King is feeling great about his arm and velocity. That’s permitting the team to consider reducing the rest required for him in between outings. King probably won’t be featured in back-to-back outings anytime soon but he is prepared to assume a heavier workload in Boone’s bullpen.

Yankees: Michael King’s health is key to New York turnaround

That’s extremely good news for a team that’s starting rotation is still in tatters. Carlos Rodon hasn’t made his debut due to injury. Gerrit Cole has performed like a bona fide ace atop the rotation, but no one behind him has done anything to inspire confidence among the team’s passionate fan base.

Having a pitcher like King who can mop up messes out of the bullpen with multiple-inning appearances could do wonders to turn the team’s short-term fortunes around. The Yankees need significant improvement from the starting rotation over the long haul, but the team has already fallen too far behind the leaders in the division for comfort. They’ll need immediate fixes if they want to stay within hailing distance of playoff position while the starters get their games sorted out.

King’s improvement isn’t the anecdote to all of the Yankees’ troubles this season, but his ascendancy shouldn’t be overlooked. He can be a big part of the solution in the Bronx.