Yankees lose key reliever to season-ending injury

It appears that the New York Yankees will be without one of their top relief pitchers for the remainder of the 2022 MLB season.

Michael King left Friday night’s 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the eighth inning. After throwing a pitch to Ramon Urias, a visibly frustrated King immediately walked off the mound in clear discomfort and was removed from the game.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, King has a fracture in his right elbow. That’s King’s pitching arm.

Sherman adds that “the Yankees will know more tomorrow after testing tonight, but they are expecting that King will miss the rest of the season.”

Brutal.

King, 27, threw a scoreless inning in the game and has a sterling 2.29 ERA and 2.23 FIP in a career-best season. He’s tied for second in the majors in wins above replacement per FanGraphs at 1.7 (only the St. Louis Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley has been worth more WAR at 1.8). He’s been tremendously effective, and while giving plenty of innings while doing so; his 51 innings pitched rank second among relievers.

Above all else, this is awful for King in a breakout season.

But it’s a huge loss for the Yankees, and they need pitchers such as former elite reliever Aroldis Chapman (5.75 ERA) to step up. Right now, it’s closer Clay Holmes (1.26 ERA, 17 saves) and then a bunch of question marks for New York.

The only fortunate news for the Yankees in this whole situation is that the trade deadline hasn’t happened yet, but it’s closing in fast. Look for the Yankees to try to acquire at least one high-leverage reliever between now and Aug. 2.

A reunion with current Chicago Cubs closer David Robertson makes sense (Chicago is also likely to trade veteran relievers Chris Martin and Mychal Givens), and perhaps the Yankees will be willing to pay what could be an enormous price for Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar, who’s under team control through the 2026 season.