Yankees lose key reliever to scary season-ending injury
The New York Yankees will be without a key reliever for the rest of the season after he suffered a scary injury during Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Setup man Michael King was in visible discomfort after throwing a pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning and left the game immediately. The Yankees had no update on King after the game, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that King had fractured his right elbow and would likely miss the rest of the season.
Michael King has a fracture in his right elbow, according to sources. Devastating to him and the Yankees. He along with Holmes have been the Yankee best relievers.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 23, 2022
Yankees will know more tomorrow after testing tonight, but they are expecting that King will miss the rest of the season.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 23, 2022
King was obviously aware something was wrong immediately after throwing the pitch.
Michael King leaves the game after throwing this pitch. Does not look great pic.twitter.com/cfkt8kJ449
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 23, 2022
King had been outstanding for the Yankees all season. The 27-year-old has 66 strikeouts in 51 innings with a 2.29 ERA. Manager Aaron Boone typically trusted him with the eighth inning of close games, though he had shown himself capable of going multiple frames when needed.
The Yankees’ bullpen has been a somewhat unheralded reason for the team’s success in 2022. Someone will have to step up with King out, be it this big-name veteran or someone else.
