Late Monday night, Jeff Passan dropped some concerning news to New York Yankees fans. Yankees' closer Luke Weaver injured his hamstring warming up on Sunday night and after having an MRI the estimation for Weaver's IL stint is four to six weeks. More details should be released at some point on Tuesday.
While there are multiple avenues of uncertainty in this situation, one thing we do know is that Aaron Boone has to plug another reliever in the closer's role. On paper, Devin Williams seems to be the most logical fit due to his experience in that role, but after his early season struggles, the Yankees have other options to fill the void.
New York Yankees closer Luke Weaver is expected be placed on the injured list after injuring his hamstring warming up Sunday night, sources tell ESPN. Weaver underwent an MRI and could miss four to six weeks, though the official timetable will be determined Tuesday.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 3, 2025
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Yankees should avoid putting more pressure on Devin Williams
The perdicament the New York Yankees are facing makes it difficult to find that fine line between showing a player you still believe in them but also doing what is best for the team. When the Yankees acquired Devin Williams, he was immediately plugged into the closer's role. After weeks of struggles at the start of the season, Boone removed Williams from that role and Luke Weaver took over.
On the season now, Williams is 2-2 with a 6.23 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched and has one blown save. This is not exactly the stat line you want from your pitcher in a close game and/or high-leverage situation.
Williams has done well in his current role as the Yankees set-up man and it would be best for the team if he continues to take the ball in the eighth inning rather than the ninth. Aaron Boone still has options outside of Williams who are more than capable of getting the job done.
Tim Hill, Brent Headrick, Mark Leiter Jr. and Clay Holmes are all options that have potential to close the door in tight games. Depending on the injury status recieved regarding Weaver, we could be Boone not name anyone as a closer and let the role be filled by a collective effort and have the entire relief core prepared to step in depending on the situation. Devin Williams just should not be included in that group.