New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Tuesday he will begin working Aroldis Chapman into some save situations when the closer returns from his suspension on May 9, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Girardi revealed to Hoch that "should the Yankees have a ninth-inning lead against the Royals on Monday, Chapman will get the call, sliding right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller into setup roles."
"I just think it makes our bullpen longer," Girardi said. "You use guys maybe a little bit differently, which I think helps."
Chapman, 28, has been serving a 30-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy. He was traded to the Yankees from the Cincinnati Reds in December 2015 for prospects Rookie Davis, Eric Jagielo, Tony Renda and Caleb Cotham.
He's been working out at the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Florida, in anticipation of his return, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been checking in on his progress, as he told Hoch:
I'm sure he's champing at the bit to get up here and assist, but he's not part of the equation right now while we wait it out. It's one of those scenarios where no news is good news.
You see the appearances that he has and you see the notations in the game reports from the pitching coach, but it's not like I'm on the phone every other day or even on a weekly basis, [saying,] 'Tell me what's going on.' He's just getting his work done, which is good.
Chapman has established himself as one of the finest relievers in baseball during his career, going 4-4 with a 1.63 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched and 33 saves in 36 save opportunities for the Reds in 2015.
While he'll certainly get the chance to save some games upon his return, per Girardi, it's unclear if he'll be handed the role on a more permanent basis.
"Let's just see what we get into," Girardi said. "Worry about that when he gets here."
That leaves the roles for Miller and Betances up in the air as well. Miller has been brilliant this year and has yet to sacrifice a run while converting all five of his save opportunities. Betances has been solid if unspectacular, with a 3.09 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and five holds.
Ultimately, deciding on which player best fits in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings is a good problem for Girardi to have going forward. The manager certainly has quite a bit to figure out, however, as the Yankees have limped out to an 8-16 start this season.
But if the Yankees continue to struggle, they could become sellers and would almost certainly move one of their premier relievers for young prospects at the trade deadline. That would be one solution to the team's excellent depth in the bullpen, though it certainly isn't an ideal result for an organization expected to compete for titles each season.
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