A Yankee team on the hunt for more bullpen help won’t be getting it from one of their top prospects anytime soon.
The team announced Friday night that Carlos Lagrange, who was in the process of being converted to a reliever for the rest of this season, was diagnosed with a capsular strain of his right shoulder.
The 23-year-old won’t throw for approximately six weeks — well after the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
So instead of potentially joining the bullpen in The Bronx in the coming weeks, Lagrange will be shut down indefinitely, knocking the hard-throwing righty off the list of possible upgrades.
Before the game, Aaron Boone said it altered the team’s plans “certainly for the short term.”
Lagrange opened eyes in the spring with his ability to throw 100 mph consistently and the Yankees continue to view him as a starter in the future, but hoped to move him to the pen for the rest of this season as a nasty bullpen arm.
That process began in early June, with a possible second half promotion to the majors.
That’s now on hold, very possibly for the rest of the season.
Lagrange last appeared in a game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. He pitched on two days’ rest and had his worst outing as a reliever, allowing five runs on four hits, as well as a pair of walks, in just two-thirds of an inning. Lagrange averaged 98.8 mph with his fastball and hit 100.9.
It was Lagrange’s seventh appearance out of the bullpen and second time pitching on two days’ rest.
Naturally, questions arose about whether the switch led to the shoulder woes.
“It’s impossible to answer that for sure,’’ Boone said. “We were pretty disciplined and methodical with how we took him into that role. I feel like we were careful with it, but you never know for certain why [it] happens.”
It’s no secret why the Yankees were looking to get some help from Lagrange.
Two of last year’s trade deadline acquisitions who were expected to aid the pen, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, have been huge disappointments, while David Bednar has mostly been solid as closer.
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And if the season had gone according to plan, the Yankees would consider Ryan Weathers as another left-handed option since there would be no room for him in the rotation.
But they’re waiting for Max Fried to get back from a left elbow bone bruise and now have Carlos Rodón on the IL with left elbow inflammation.
There was also belief that Luis Gil might thrive out of the pen, but he last pitched on April 26 with the Yankees and then was shut down with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in early May with a shoulder injury.
He’s resumed throwing, but is a long way from being considered for a role in The Bronx.
That could leave the Yankees looking for at least a pair of relievers in the next month, and as they proved last year, that’s no easy feat.
