CLEVELAND — Initial testing of Dellin Betances’ right shoulder in Tampa didn’t uncover anything alarming, but the Yankees are sending the reliever to see team doctor Chris Ahmad in New York on Monday.
Betances was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday in Tampa, but felt soreness in his shoulder and didn’t throw.
“The original testing and all that was good,’’ Aaron Boone said of the right-handed reliever, who was examined by an orthopedist in Tampa. “But we want to run him through some more [tests]. Hoping it is not serious but we will know more in a couple of days.’’
According to Boone, Betances felt soreness in the back of his shoulder toward the lat muscle. He has been on the injured list since spring training with an impingement in his right shoulder.
“I am glad he stopped,’’ Boone said.
Nothing about Betances’ outing Wednesday, when he threw to hitters, indicated he had suffered a setback in the rehab process.
“He threw to hitters Wednesday and that went well but felt like normal soreness,” Boone said. “When he was getting ready to throw his [bullpen session], it didn’t quite feel right.”
There is never a good time for an injury, but Betances’ shoulder problem has impacted the Yankees in two ways. Because he is one of the premier relievers in the game, the bullpen is missing a big weapon. Tommy Kahnle and Adam Ottavino have pitched very well in Betances’ absence, but when Betances is right there aren’t many better.
On a personal level, Betances, 31, gets his first crack at free agency after this season and he already has missed two months. If this latest development robs him of much more time, he will enter free agency with a reduced résumé despite domination the past five years.
“He is a great pitcher and hopefully this is just something that slows him a little bit,’’ said Boone, whose bullpen has been very good, but was looking forward to adding Betances to further deepen it and take some of the workload off others. “Obviously, he is a very important player to what we do. There is no denying how good he is.’’
When spring training opened, Betances was expected to join Zack Britton and closer Aroldis Chapman at the back of the bullpen. Ottavino and Chad Green were viewed as pitchers who could make up for a rotation that had question marks about working deep into games. The bullpen has done well to cover up for the rotation not eating innings, but Betances is a big missing part.
see also
The secret formula behind Yankees’ unrelenting winning culture
Click Here: cheap pandora Rings
CLEVELAND — “Culture,” Buck Showalter said, chewing on the term…
Kahnle entered Saturday’s game against the Indians with a 1.48 ERA, and 20 of his 28 appearances have been hitless and scoreless. For the year, the right-hander with a plus change-up and more than enough fastball has held hitters to a .229 batting average and has produced 33 strikeouts in 24 ¹/₃ innings.
Ottavino hadn’t allowed a run in the past 18 games and had given up two runs in 28 appearances.
Boone talked to Betances on Saturday morning and sensed disappointment.
“He is all right, a little frustrated obviously,’’ Boone said. “Better not to push this, you have to listen to your body right now. Hopefully we have a better gasp of this in the next couple of days.’’
The Yankees didn’t have a set date for Betances to start a minor league rehab assignment, much less knowing when he would return to the big leagues. Now, in a season that has been dominated by MRI exams and visits to doctors, the Yankees wait again to see how it works out for one of their biggest names.