EASING BACK IN
Chapman tosses perfect 8th in return
OAKLAND, Calif. — On the bright side for the Yankees, they ended this road trip from hell with a welcome return from the disabled list.
Closer Aroldis Chapman, who had last pitched May 12, threw a perfect bottom of the eighth inning Sunday as the Yankees suffered their sixth straight loss, 4-3 to the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum.
“Definitely, I felt good out there,” said Chapman, who had been down with inflammation in the rotator cuff of his left shoulder.
The Yankees decided before the game that Chapman, who allowed a run while getting two outs pitching for Double-A Trenton on Friday night, would get in Sunday’s game regardless of the situation. With an off day Monday, the Yankees wanted to test Chapman’s sharpness. He passed that test.
“He said he was rusty. He looked pretty good to me today,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s a big power arm to have back. It lengthens our bullpen.”
In fact, Chapman said before the game that if the team hadn’t been immersed in a losing streak, he would’ve perhaps taken another minor league rehab game instead of flying out West for the one contest. “But I am here now,” he concluded.
“If you are a player being paid to play, and you are eligible, you show up,” Girardi said. “How many divisions are lost by one game? How many playoff spots have not been guaranteed by one game?’ It’s not ideal to be all the way out here, I get that. He had a travel day where he did not play. All our other players had a travel day where they played the next day. If you have people available who are the best, you want them here.’’
“The last couple of outings were shaky as far as location goes,” said Chapman, who also threw a simulated game at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa. “But once I got out there, everything felt good. I felt normal.”
Dellin Betances, who went 6for-6 in save chances and worked in 10 games when Chapman was on the shelf, will get more chances to pitch by returning to the eighthinning role he has excelled in the past three years.
“I enjoyed it, but I didn’t get many opportunities,’’ Betances said of closing.