Yankees Replace Ian Hamilton on ALCS Roster Following Game 3 Injury

The New York Yankees replaced Ian Hamilton with Mark Leiter Jr. after Hamilton sustained an injury in Game 3.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Ian Hamilton (71) throws during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have made a change in their bullpen ahead of Game 4 of the ALCS.

On Friday afternoon, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported that Mark Leiter Jr. has replaced Ian Hamilton on the Yankees’ ALCS roster. According to league rules, players removed during a playoff round are ineligible for the subsequent series, which would rule out Hamilton for a potential World Series appearance if the Yankees advance.

Mark Leiter Jr. has replaced Ian Hamilton on the Yankees’ ALCS roster. Hamilton would be ineligible for the World Series, should the Yankees advance.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 18, 2024

Hamilton, 29, pitched in the sixth inning of Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, throwing just seven pitches before departing due to left calf tightness. This was his first outing since an impressive four-out performance in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals on Oct. 7, where he recorded three strikeouts.

The injury occurred while Hamilton was covering first base on an infield single by Daniel Schneemann. After first baseman Jon Berti initially bobbled the ground ball, he flipped it to Hamilton at the bag, where Schneemann was initially called safe before the call was overturned by a Yankees' challenge. 

The Yankees announced that Ian Hamilton exited Game 3 of the ALCS with left calf tightness.

He appeared to injure himself while covering first on this play. The right-handed reliever threw one warmup pitch after that, and it went to the backstop.pic.twitter.com/qc28GTCG07

— John Sparaco (@JohnSparaco) October 17, 2024

Following the review, Hamilton attempted a warmup pitch but airmailed the throw to the backstop, prompting the Yankees to replace him with left-hander Tim Mayza.

In 2024, Hamilton made 35 appearances, posting a 3.82 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings rate over 37.2 innings. He missed a couple of months during the season due to a lat strain.

Leiter, 33, joined the Yankees as a trade deadline acquisition. At the time of the deal, he was striking out nearly 35% of the batters he faced. Although he has maintained a high strikeout rate in New York, he has struggled to avoid hard contact, recording a 4.98 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in 21.2 innings, along with allowing three times as many home runs as he did in 36.1 innings with the Chicago Cubs. Until now, he had been excluded from the postseason roster.

According to Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman, they also discussed right-handers Cody Poteet and Clayton Beeter, but ultimately chose Leiter based on his successful track record against left-handed hitters. Lefty starter Nestor Cortes Jr., who has been working his way back from a flexor strain suffered in September, reportedly would have wanted to be added to the active roster, but Cashman was weary of skipping too many return-to-play protocols.

While the Yankees have not yet disclosed the severity of Hamilton’s injury, their decision suggests they either do not expect him to return in the final weeks of the season or want to avoid being short-handed in the current series. Entering Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead, the Yankees may need the extra arm to navigate Friday and Saturday’s games.