The injury bug hits the New York Yankees again, as starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will be shut down for two weeks with elbow inflammation, according to Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN.
Per @YankeesWFAN Nathan Eovaldi is being shut down for the next two weeks with Elbow Inflammation
— Pete Hoffman (@TheHoffWFAN) September 7, 2015
According to Murti, Eovaldi was taken for an MRI after his last start on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and the results showed that the right hander had inflammation in his right elbow. The team will shut him down for two weeks, and will reevaluate him closer to the end of that two week period.
In his first season in pinstripes, Eovaldi has really developed as a starting pitcher, as he currently holds a 14-3 record with a 4.20 ERA. Recently, the 25-year-old has shown great improvement with his secondary pitches, as he has created a nice repertoire that has been effective in getting batters out at the plate.
Although his ERA is high for a starting pitcher, Eovaldi has benefitted from a lot of run support this season. The Yankees’ offense averages a little over seven runs in his starts, which is the second highest for any starting pitcher in all of baseball (behind Toronto Blue Jays’ starting pitcher Drew Hutchinson).
Once again, the Yankees’ plans on a six-man rotation will most likely be pushed to the side for the time being. With CC Sabathia scheduled to rejoin the rotation this week, it is likely that the team will stick with a five-man rotation for the time being. Once Eovaldi is ready to go, the team might reconsider going with a six-man rotation for the remainder of the regular season, depending on how long the injury sidelines the right-hander.
As the team currently is batting to win the American League East Division, this news comes at a very bad time. This is a big week for the team, as they are currently in a stretch in which they play 13 games against division opponents, including a huge four game series with the Toronto Blue Jays starting on Thursday night.
It is unclear at this time as to how long Eovaldi will be sidelined, but the Yankees are hopeful that he could return some point near the end of September to help the team make a final playoff push in the American League.
