Chapman placed on injured list with left elbow inflammation

By Kristie Ackert

NEW YORK — This may be the new-look Yankees, but they are constantly dealing with the same old thing: injuries. Saturday it was another huge blow for the Bombers with Aroldis Chapman going on the injured list before their game with left elbow inflammation.

The Yankees are hopeful this is just a short trip to the IL.

“He had it a little bit in Miami,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees win 5-4 over the Mariners Saturday. “He got an MRI. The MRI was good news. So I think it’s just going to be a few days of no throwing, and then, it should be able to ramp up from there.”

The Yankees had to place starters Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery on the COVID-19 IL on Tuesday. Catcher Gary Sanchez joined them on Wednesday after testing positive. This is the third COVID-19 outbreak the Yankees, who reached the 85% vaccinated mark among players and personnel very early in the season, have had this year.

Domingo German is also on the IL with inflammation in his right shoulder.

After pitching to a 0.39 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 11 walks in his first 23 appearances this season — over 23.1 innings pitched, Chapman gave up 14 earned runs in his next 11 appearances, which also dates back to the beginning of MLB’s crackdown on the sticky substances pitchers use for better grips and spin rates. He’s walked 12 and struck out nine and gotten through just 6.2 innings in those 11 appearances.

Since July 6, however, Chapman has allowed just one earned run over 11 innings in 11 appearances. He’s struck out 19 and walked eight.

Help is coming?: Corey Kluber faced live hitters again on Saturday. The two-time Cy Young winner has been on the injured list with a muscle strain in his right shoulder since late May, but the Yankees are hopeful he could come off the IL by early September.

“I thought he looked good,” Boone said. “He got a little tired, I thought at the end. But the shapes and the stuff were good.”