The New York Yankees have placed right-hander Jameson Taillon on the 10-day injured list because of a partial tendon tear in his right ankle, while reliever Zack Britton is unlikely to pitch again until 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, according to manager Aaron Boone.
Boone said Taillon felt discomfort in the ankle toward the end of a start Monday, when he pitched three-run ball over seven innings in an 8-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection this week and was in a walking boot Wednesday and Thursday, Boone said.
The hope is for Taillon to be out of the boot Friday, and there is a chance he will miss only one start. Boone said there isn’t a concern that Taillon would worsen the injury by pushing it.
“It sounds worse than it is, but his body is going to tell us what he’s able to handle,” Boone said.
Britton was operated on by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He had the UCL in his left elbow reconstructed and had a bone chip removed. Boone was uncertain about a timetable for Britton’s return, although the typical Tommy John surgery recovery is 12 to 18 months.
The 33-year-old Britton was 0-1 with a 5.89 ERA in 22 games this season and last pitched Aug. 19. New York has already picked up the $14 million option on Britton’s contract for 2022. He can become a free agent after that.
Taillon is 8-6 with a 4.41 ERA over 27 starts in his first season with the Yankees. Prior to this year, he hadn’t pitched since May 1, 2019, while with the Pittsburgh Pirates because of Tommy John surgery.
The reeling Yankees are feeling more optimistic about ace Gerrit Cole, who left a start Tuesday with left hamstring tightness. Cole played catch Thursday and plans to throw a bullpen session Friday or Saturday with an eye toward a return to game action Monday or Tuesday.
The Yankees have lost five straight and nine of 11 since winning 13 in a row. A 6-3 loss to Toronto on Wednesday dropped them a half-game behind the Boston Red Sox for the first American League wild card.
In corresponding moves to Taillon’s IL stint, the Yankees called up right-hander Sal Romano from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designated outfield Jonathan Davis for assignment.
Right-hander Michael King is expected to be activated Friday after injuring his right middle finger while weightlifting in July. He stretched out to three innings in his final rehab start with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.