ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Yankees are getting a power lefty boost to their bullpen for the ALDS.
Ryan Weathers is on the roster to face the Rays, after the Yankees left him off for the AL wild-card series to give him more time to ramp up from a left forearm flexor strain that sidelined him for the final month of the regular season.
The left-hander, who pitched to a 3.60 ERA in 25 starts this season, is coming back as a reliever, likely limited to one or possibly one-plus inning at a time.
But he still offers real value for the Yankees, with Aaron Boone saying earlier this week he could play a “massive role” moving forward.
The other lefties in the Yankees bullpen are heavily used setup man Brent Headrick and the soft-tossing Ryan Yarbrough.
Headrick lost some velocity late in the season, looking like he might be running out of gas, while Yarbrough is mostly on the roster to offer some length if the Yankees get into a tough spot.
Weathers, meanwhile, was back up to 96 mph in a live batting practice last week.
The Yankees had him throw another on Monday, taking him out of consideration to be on the wild-card roster but ensuring that if they advanced, he would be available to pitch more often in the ALDS, which they now stand to benefit from.
Especially with off days after Games 1, 2 and 4, Weathers has a chance to impact multiple games.
He said on Friday he hoped he would only need one day off in between appearances, though the Yankees will not be rash in how they use him coming back from the injury.
“I feel super healthy enough to be on [the roster],” Weathers said Friday. “Bouncing back really well.”
