WEAVER INJURY COULD PROVE TROUBLESOME FOR YANKEES

In Sunday night’s 7–3 win over the Dodgers, Yankees manager Aaron Boone handed the ninth inning keys to Tim Hill. At first glance, no big deal. But then the truth trickled out — Luke Weaver “felt something.” And I hate that phrase. Nothing good ever comes after a pitcher “feeling something.”

Weaver's been a warhorse. His outing in Anaheim marked his fifth appearance in seven days — which, according to FanSided, is workload territory usually reserved for late-October thrill rides, not the middle of the baseball season. That set off the alarm bells in my brain: If Weaver’s out, who takes the wheel?

If it’s a hamstring issue — and that’s the early speculation — he could be sidelined for more than just a weekend. That would leave the Yankees in a bit of a bullpen bind. Do they roll the dice again with Devin Williams? He’s been lights out… until you give him the ninth. The man’s allergic to save situations. He thrives in the shadows, not under the closer spotlight. Pressure hits different when the game’s on the line, and for Williams, that difference has been glaring.

Mark Leiter Jr. has the stuff, but sometimes I wonder if Boone trots him out because of the back of the jersey rather than what’s actually coming out of his hand. The pedigree's nice, but this isn't a baseball family reunion — it's a bullpen that needs a boss.

We can only hope this is just a blip for Weaver. The guy’s been electric this year: a 1.05 ERA across 24 appearances, and he’s locked down 8 of 9 save chances. He’s not just a closer — right now, he’s the closer. Losing him would be like pulling the battery out of a championship run.

Tim Hill got the job done on Sunday, recording the final three outs. But is he a ninth-inning guy or just a lefty specialist temporarily moonlighting as one? That’s a question we don’t want to have to answer long-term.

Help may be on the way in the form of Fernando Cruz, who’s expected to rejoin the team this week. Cruz was dialed in before he hit the injury list, and while he’ll definitely help, the Yankees bullpen is starting to look like a MAS*H unit.

Bottom line — the Yankees need Luke Weaver healthy. Not “pushing through something” healthy. Not “maybe available this weekend” healthy. Actually healthy. Because if he’s out for an extended stretch, the late innings in the Bronx are about to get really chaotic, real fast.