After being pulled in an outing against the Seattle Mariners late in the season, the Yankees placed Jake Cousins on the 15-Day IL with a right pectoral strain. By having it retroactive to September 20th, it left the door open for him to return for the ALDS, but it was far from a certainty that he would be ready by then. While Aaron Boone didn’t use committal verbiage, he told reporters today that the right-hander is on track to return for the ALDS and will throw a bullpen tomorrow.
Cousins was one of the best relievers in the Yankees’ bullpen this season, and thanks to their AL-best 94-68 record, they’ll get extra time to have him rest as the Wild Card series begins today.
Jake Cousins is On Track to Join the Yankees in the ALDS
After posting a 4.82 ERA in 2023 and being traded by the White Sox for cash considerations at the start of the year, Jake Cousins came out of nowhere to become one of the Yankees’ top relievers. His sweeper-sinker combination has been dominant, as he’s posted a 2.37 ERA and 34.2% strikeout rate over 37 appearances.
The Yankees had relied more and more on Cousins in high leverage as he grew more dominant in the role, which is why news of his injury has become so important to the organization. With the emergence of Luke Weaver as their closer, the goal now is to make sure that New York has enough bullpen depth around him to handle the middle innings of a big game.
Tommy Kahnle, Tim Hill, and Ian Hamilton have all been excellent for the Yankees down the stretch, as their bullpen has combined for a +1.65 Win Probability Added and a 29.8% strikeout rate in September.
Clay Holmes is also expected to be on the postseason roster although his role could be in flux due to his extended struggles in high-leverage. The Yankees play the first game of the ALDS against the winner of the Royals-Orioles Wild Card Series on Saturday, but in the meantime, they’ll do on-field workouts and some live work to try and stay sharp.
In the new Wild Card format, only the Houston Astros (’22 and ’23) and the New York Yankees (’22) have won a division series after getting the bye. For this team though, time off should help them get guys fully rested after a hard-fought battle in September to close out the American League East.
