Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Aroldis Chapman, Domingo German Shine on Rehab Assignments

Chapman will be activated from the 15-day injured list in the next few days as he works back from a left Achilles injury.

Pat Ragazzo

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The Yankees are close to getting two reinforcements back on their already deep and talented pitching staff.

Both Aroldis Chapman and Domingo Germán pitched on their respective rehab assignments on Tuesday night, as they continue to progress towards returning to the big-leagues.

First, German went 3 1/3 shutout innings for the Somerset Patriots, allowing just two hits and striking out three. This was German’s second rehab start, as he tossed three scoreless frames for the Tampa Tarpons six days earlier on June 22.

It shouldn’t be too much longer, before Germán is ready to rejoin the big-league team. But he could need at least 1-2 more outings, given he has been on the shelf since March 18 with right shoulder impingement syndrome.

The question that remains surrounding Germán is where he fits on the Yankees’ big-league roster due to how strong the current starting five has performed in New York’s rotation. It’s possible that German could remain in the minors or return as a long reliever/spot starter in the Yankees’ bullpen once he is ready to come off the IL.

As for Chapman, he struck out two batters in a 13-pitch scoreless inning for Scranton in his latest rehab outing. This was Chapman’s third appearance on his rehab assignment and third shutout inning overall during this stint.

Manager Aaron Boone said the team wanted Chapman to pitch in Triple-A before activating him from the IL. Once Chapman returns, Boone will need to figure out how to use both Chapman and Clay Holmes in the back of New York's bullpen. 

Holmes has been dominant as the closer in Chapman's absence, allowing just two earned runs all season long. He registered his 13th save of the season, closing the door in a 2-1 win over the Athletics.  

"The biggest thing is I want to get Chappy in a good place delivery-wise and throwing the ball like he's capable of," Boone said on Monday. "If we get that then we get another back-end monster to mix in."

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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