Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that reliever Michael King had been placed on the team’s 60-day injured reserve list and will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured right elbow.
King left Friday’s game against the Orioles in the eighth inning after he felt a pop in his elbow. The Yankees picked up their 65th victory of the season in a 7-6 win, despite King’s injury.
Before the injury, the 27-year-old was having a breakout season and was a pivotal part on the back end of the Yankees bullpen, posting a 2.29 ERA and a career-high 66 strikeouts through 51 innings pitched. As the Yankees seek to continue rolling throughout the season, MLB’s upcoming trade deadline could be the time to find another relief pitcher.
With King’s absence, the Yankees called up Clarke Schmidt from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Schmidt had posted a 3.00 ERA in 24 innings in MLB this season.
Currently, the Yankees (65-30) hold the best record in MLB and sit 12 games above the Rays for first place in the AL East.
