Yankees RP Zack Britton Hopes to Return in 2022

The reliever underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2021.

Zack Britton hopes to return to the Yankees bullpen later this year.

The left-handed reliever underwent Tommy John surgery last September and is a month into his throwing program. So far, he’s been limited to flat ground, but he hopes to get back on a mound soon.

“I've been going step by step, so I'm not looking too far into the future,” Britton said Monday when asked about returning this season. “But honestly, when I had this surgery, there was definitely a possibility of me pitching with the team this year. So if everything goes as planned, hopefully that's in the cards for me.”

Britton added that he had “a lot of hurdles to cross, but everything is kind of falling into place right now.” The 34-year-old was not able to coordinate his rehab with the Yankees during the MLB lockout. He plans on talking to Brian Cashman at spring training and creating a schedule that will take him up to his first rehab assignment.

Britton also dealt with a bone chip in his elbow last year. He only pitched in 22 games and was mostly ineffective throughout. Britton, typically dominant, recorded a 5.89 ERA over 18.1 innings. Because of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he has only thrown 37.1 innings over the last two years.

Britton is scheduled to be a free agent following the 2022 season.

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