Chapman has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left Achilles tendinitis.
For Chapman, the Achilles issue has been lingering for awhile. Manager Aaron Boone recently mentioned an IL stint as a realistic option for their closer. This, despite Chapman’s MRI coming back with clean results.
However, it appears there’s enough discomfort to justify giving Chapman time to rest and reset.
After getting off to a good start this season, Chapman’s performance has regressed over the last few weeks. Most notably, the velocity on his fastball has decreased. This could be related to the Achilles issue impacting his pitching delivery.
An Achilles is nothing to mess around with, therefore it’s better safe than sorry.
The Yankees in the interim, without Chapman, remain strong in the bullpen. Michael King and Clay Holmes are putting in eye-opening seasons, respectively. The group did recently lose Chad Green to Tommy John surgery. However, King and Holmes — along with Jonathan Loáisiga and Wandy Peralta have provided peace of mind for Boone and his staff.
Catcher Kyle Higashioka is back from the COVID-19 injured list to fill the active roster spot.
Image: Quinn Harris/Getty Images
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