Inside The Pinstripes

Aaron Boone Explains Why Michael King Was Placed on the 60-Day Injured List

New York Yankees reliever Michael King was placed on the 60-day injured list due to a finger contusion. King will need to build up after not being able to throw

Max Goodman

ST. PETERSBURG — Just before first pitch on Tuesday night, the Yankees placed right-hander Michael King on the 60-day injured list. 

After the game—a 4-3 victory for New York against the Rays—manager Aaron Boone provided some clarity as to why the 60-day IL was a necessary step for King and his middle finger contusion. 

"It's no throw for another week, which would be four weeks. So then you're talking about at least a four-week build up from that point," Boone explained. "So I think it was just going to be something that was cutting it close."

The right-hander initially got hurt in what Boone called a "freak accident" when King's finger got jammed between two weights during a lifting session. King was promptly placed on the 10-day injured list on July 8, a move that was retroactive to July 5. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Boone mentioned that King visited with a hand specialist, learning that the injury wasn't believed to be anything serious. That doesn't mean he's ready to start working back yet, though. It's going to take some time.

Since King needs to ramp up after being unable to throw for the last several weeks, the decision to advance King to the 60-day makes sense. He'll be eligible to return in early September, giving him those four-plus weeks to build up his arm again once he's cleared to begin throwing. 

King has pitched in 14 games this season, making six starts and tossing a total of 48.1 innings. The 26-year-old has posted a 3.72 ERA in that span, a massive step in the right direction after pitching to a 7.76 ERA in nine appearances during last year's shortened campaign. 

While the right-hander's goal to eclipse the 100-inning mark this season won't come to fruition in 2021, it certainly seems like he'll still be able to contribute down the stretch. 

If he can get a clean bill of health and return to this club in the final month of the regular season, he may be called upon right away to pitch in some big, must-win ballgames with playoff implications. 

MORE:

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Published
Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

Home/News