Chapman’s drop in heat not an injury concern
Austin Romine knew it didn't feel right. The Yankees catcher looked up at the video board and saw that Aroldis Chapman's fastball was coming in at 95 miles an hour and went into “emergency mode.”
“He looks the same to me, just wasn't coming out at 100,” Romine said. “At that point I go into emergency mode and get through this inning.”
They got through Thursday by going to Chapman's slider, but the drop in velocity has been a red flag. While the Yankees' closer said that his knee is fine and physically he feels fine, he has struggled to reach the high velocity that has made him so effective in his last few appearances.
“The knee is not bothering me. For speed to fluctuate like that is normal,” Chapman said through a team translator. “That's what it was yesterday.”
Thursday night, he touched 99 mph twice, but worked in the 9596 range. Aaron Boone said that he thinks it is a mechanical issue with Chapman.
“The thing about Chappy, he's so mechanically kind of freakish, the way he is able to generate the type of velocity he does. So I think he's fighting it, so he's not getting that kinetic chain perfectly in sync that allows him to have that velocity,” Boone said. “I don't think it's an injury concern.”
Chapman did complain of soreness after throwing 39 pitches in an implosion at Fenway Sunday night, so the Yankees will have to keep an eye on their closer. They have four relievers with closing experience back there, including lefty Zach Britton, acquired last month.
If Chapman continues to struggle, you would have to expect to see Britton maybe get a chance for some saves. Right now, however, the Yankees are focused on getting Chapman back.
“I've seen the 97-98 before, we're up five or something and he needs some work, also seen 100101 big game. Saw 104 one day, probably feeling really good that day. No one here knows what it takes (to throw) 104, so it's going to have to be on him, ask him those questions,” Romine said. “I saw nothing different, the ball just wasn't coming out at 100.”
WALK OUT
The Yankees were without their hottest hitting bat Friday because of a tweaked neck and illness. Aaron Boone said that Walker approached him right before Friday's 12-7 loss to the Rangers and said he was feeling ill. Walker, who had hit homers from both sides of the plate the night before, had also tweaked his neck.
Boone said he hopes to have Walker available Saturday.
“He had a tweak of the neck and wasn't feeling good before the game. He was kind of an emergency situation,” said Boone, who had explained Walker's absence before the game as wanting Luke Voit to start against the Rangers' lefthanded starter Mike Minor. “He started not feeling well kind of right before the game.”
In his last 22 games, dating back to July 9, Walker is hitting .329 with a .380 on-base percentage and .557 slugging percentage. He has hit four doubles, four homers and driven in 14 runs in that span.
GUZMAN GOES DEEP, DEEP, DEEP
Rangers' first baseman Ronald Guzman became the first Rangers' rookie to hit three home runs in a game.
He has homered in his first four career games against the Yankees, the first rookie to accomplish that feat, according to Elias Sports Bureau. He is hitting .533 with six homers, eight RBI and seven runs scored in four games against the Bombers. Those six homers are tied for the most against the Yankees this season with former Oriole Manny Machado.
The six homers are the most by a Ranger against the Yankees since the team moved to Texas in 1972 and tied with Frank Howard of the 1969 Senators for the most against the Bronx Bombers in franchise history.
THERE ARE GIRLS IN BASEBALL
Before Friday night's game, the Yankees recognized four players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was made famous by the movie "A League of Their Own." Katie Horstman, who had a 2.50 ERA in four seasons in the AAGPBL; Marilyn Jenkins, who graduated from bat girl to a 10-year veteran with the Grand Rapid Chicks; Sister ToniAnnPalermo, a shortstop for the Chicago Colleens; and Virginia Ventura Manina, a first baseman for the Rockford Peaches, were honored before the game.