The Yankees, winners of 11 in a row, are in the midst of their longest winning streak in more than 35 years, but one lingering issue is what to do about the ninth inning.
Several previously reliable closers have been shaky at times during New York’s hot streak, most recently Aroldis Chapman, who has struggled badly with his fastball command since coming back from the IL with elbow inflammation.
“It will be important for us to get him going like we know he’s capable of the rest of the way and bolster what we think has a chance to be a really good bullpen,” Aaron Boone told Carton & Roberts on Thursday.
Until Chapman can return to form, the debate of who should take the ball in the ninth inning rages on. It could be a closer by committee, it could be Jonathan Loaisiga, but Boone isn’t ready to count out Chapman in the short term.
“We’ll just try our best to figure out what gives us a best chance to win,” Boone said. “Thinking about Chappy the other night, he probably should have been out of the inning on a ground ball…wasn’t that far off, but we gotta get him going with his fastball to compliment his other pitches.”
Chapman has made three appearances since returning from the IL, and he has allowed four hits and two runs in 2.1 innings of work. The control issues that plagued him before his IL stint have resurfaced as well, as he has walked three batters in that span.
“I’m sure he’s frustrated and wants to perform at a high level for us like he has his entire career,” Boone said. “I think the important thing is to make sure he realizes that he’s not far removed from probably the best two months I’ve seen from him, which was the first two months of the season.”
Chapman walked two batters in his last outing against the Braves, allowing a run and loading the bases before Boone pulled him and called on Wandy Peralta in a 5-4 game. Peralta closed it out to secure the win, but Boone said it wasn’t contentious with Chapman after he was removed from a situation that would normally call for his use.
“He understands where we are as a team, how important these things are and the emergence of some guys down there in the bullpen, so I don’t think there’s any hurt feelings or things like that,” Boone said.
Chapman’s role could change while he tries to find the level of dominance he showed early in the season, or even shortly before his recent IL stint, but Boone hasn’t solidified anything just yet.
“We’ll see,” Boone said. “I still like him at the back end of games and trying to pick spots where we can get him in to hopefully have that one outing or one pitch or delivery that allows him to click and take off. We’ll continue to try and find those spots for him.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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