Yankees' Pitching Staff Takes Big Hit as High-Leverage Reliever, Key Depth Starter Head to IL

The injuries keep on coming for the New York Yankees as of late.

Jun 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ian Hamilton (71) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees' injury woes just keep piling up these days.

On Tuesday, the team announced that high-leverage right-handed reliever Ian Hamilton has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain. Hamilton will not throw for 3-4 weeks, which puts further emphasis on the Yankees' need to acquire relief help with the trade deadline approaching on July 30.

But Hamilton wasn't the only Yankees' injury news on the day. The team also shared that key depth starter Cody Poteet has a right triceps strain and will not throw for 1-2 weeks. Poteet has filled in nicely in the Yankees' rotation since Clarke Schmidt went down with a right lat strain of his own in late-May.

On the season, Poteet was 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA in four starts with the Yankees. Although this loss hurts the Yankees' rotation depth, reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is scheduled to return to the major leagues on Wednesday, June 19 against the Baltimore Orioles. This will be Cole's regular season debut as he has been sidelined from big-league action since Spring Training due to an elbow injury.

As for Hamilton, he has endured a disappointing season, where he has posted a 4.55 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. Hamilton, 29, has seen major regression in 2024 after producing a 2.64 ERA in 58 innings in the Bronx last year.

The Yankees were going to focus on relief help at the trade deadline no matter what. They have been linked to White Sox hurlers' Garrett Crochet and Michael Kopech, as well as Marlins dominant lefty reliever Tanner Scott.

Yankees also officially placed first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the IL with an arm fracture. To replace Rizzo and their pair of injured pitchers, the team called up top prospect catcher/first baseman Ben Rice, lefty Clayton Andrews and signed lefty Anthony Misiewicz to a big-league contract.