New York Yankees Are Finally Set to Use an Opener Today
After losing their top two pitchers to injury, the New York Yankees are finally set to debut an Opener in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
When the Tampa Bay Rays debuted the Opener strategy last season, there were rumblings around the Bronx about whether the New York Yankees would ever delve into the trend. After losing three starting pitchers to injury, the team is ready to take the leap.
With the Yankees in the midst of a 17-game stretch without a day off and only 4 healthy starters in the rotation, the Opener strategy couldn’t come at a better time. What’s more, they have just the pitcher to launch the strategy with.
Despite struggling mightily to start the season, when Chad Green was demoted to AAA in late April. While there, the Yankees used the All-Star reliever primarily as an Opener, and to everyone’s surprise, he excelled in the role.
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In 3 GS with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders, Green tossed 7.1 innings, striking out 14 while allowing just 2 ER.
The Yankees struggled with the idea of deploying an Opener in March against the Detroit Tigers but ultimately decided against it. Instead, they opted to pitch Masahiro Tanaka on regular rest, utilizing the day off teams receive the day after Opening Day to their advantage.
The Yanks are expected to use the Opener every 5th day during this stretch unless James Paxton returns. Paxton was placed on the 10-day IL after feeling discomfort in his knee.
While Paxton is making good progress, Aaron Boone isn’t rushing the starter’s return, saying, “[Paxton] will have another side on Sunday. If that goes well there is a chance we could possibly insert him [back into the rotation] on the road trip.”
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The New York Yankees feature perhaps the best bullpen in baseball. With so many arms available to do damage, something tells me that the team will hope to continue to deploy the strategy… even after Paxton returns.