BRITTON OUT FOR MONTHS
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Yankees’ bullpen took its first serious hit of the season, as the team learned Tuesday it would be without Zack Britton for the foreseeable future. The left-hander is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow.
Britton, arguably the most important piece in the bullpen, underwent an MRI exam Monday after experiencing soreness following a bullpen session on Sunday.
He’s expected to return to New York on Wednesday, and the procedure is scheduled to be performed by team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital.
The procedure figures to sideline Britton for at least several months, as he’ll be shut down for six to eight weeks. He likely won’t be back in the Yankees’ bullpen until mid-June, at the earliest.
Third baseman Gio Urshela underwent a similar operation in December and only recently returned to action.
“I appreciate the support from everyone,” Britton posted on Twitter on Tuesday. “We all have daily challenges we have to overcome in order to reach our goals. Just have to keep pushing ahead! I will get this taken care of during the upcoming week and be back as soon as I can.”
Britton told The Post on Saturday he was being brought along slowly this spring due to a bout with COVID-19 in January, which caused him to lose a lot of weight.
At that point, Britton was optimistic he’d be ready in time for Opening Day, but that reality changed a day later, when he experienced discomfort following a bullpen session Sunday.
“He was just trying to get his weight up,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s been throwing pretty well early in spring, but after the bullpen [Sunday],
which was successful and he didn’t feel anything, it was after the fact [the soreness began].”
At the time, Britton thought he’d be ready for Opening Day on April 1. That reality has now changed.
Before the diagnosis was made public on Tuesday, Boone was cautiously optimistic the injury wouldn’t lead to season-ending Tommy John surgery. And though Britton figures to return by midseason, it’s a significant blow to the bullpen.
Boone said the offseason illness “set him back a little bit in his buildup [to spring training].”
The 33-year-old Britton has been excellent since arriving in a trade from Baltimore at the deadline in 2018. Following that season, he signed a three-year contract with the Yankees, which included an option for a fourth year. The Yankees picked up the option for 2022 after last season, so they still owe Britton $27 million over the next two years.
Britton was expected to be at the back of a bullpen that features Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green, as well as newly signed Darren O’Day and Justin Wilson. The Yankees traded Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox during
the offseason to free up salary.
Now, they won’t be nearly as deep in an area that figured to be among their biggest strengths.
“As much as we look to April 1, that’s one day,’’ Boone said. “The biggest thing is we want to get this diagnosed properly, treated properly and get Britton in the best place to be at his best.”
With Britton out, it will force the Yankees to put another arm in their pen. Nick Nelson or Adam Warren figure to be candidates to make the team, along with others like Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa — who likely already have spots.
Britton previously missed time after rupturing his Achilles tendon before the 2018 season. He also dealt with a left forearm strain during the first part of the 2017 season, which sent him to the injured list.
He’s the second Yankees pitcher to experience elbow pain this spring training. Clarke Schmidt went down with a common extensor tendon strain last month. It’s similar to tennis elbow and an unusual injury for a pitcher. The right-hander has been shut down and figures to miss at least the first month of the season.