Aroldis Chapman is going to be a handsomely-paid setup man when he returns.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the hard-throwing southpaw is close to coming off the injured list. And while Boone didn’t come out and say it directly, all indications are Chapman will not be getting his closer job back.
“A big-time arm in the back end of the pen,” Boone said, via The Post, when asked about Chapman’s role.
Translation: Clay Holmes will hold onto the gig thanks to his brilliant season to date and Chapman’s pre-injury struggles. Holmes has yet to allow a run this season in 24 appearances.
Boone said Chapman’s Achilles tendon issue is no longer bothering him. He’s scheduled to throw a bullpen later this week.
Chapman has been on the IL since May 24. He got off to a good start, but began to get routinely shelled soon after. His current 3.86 ERA is the highest of his career.
First to 40. The Yankees rolled the Twins, 10-4, on Tuesday night in Minneapolis. It was their seventh straight win. They are now 40-15, the first time in the big leagues to hit the 40-win plateau this year. And it’s the best start by any team since the 2001 Mariners, who won 116 games.
Slugger Aaron Judge blasted his 22nd home run, which leads the majors. And he entered some lofty company with the shot. From MLB.com:
Judge had a pair of hits, including his MLB-leading 22nd home run, and three RBIs. The Yankees’ three-time All-Star became the second player in franchise history to hit 22 homers in his first 53 games of a season, joining Babe Ruth, who did it twice with a team-record 24 blasts in his first 53 contests in 1928 and 22 in 1930.
Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton also hit home runs in the win for the Yankees.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
