With the New York Yankees down 2-1 to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 3 of the ALCS, one of their key bullpen pitchers had to leave the game due to an apparent injury.
Right-handed reliever Ian Hamilton exited in the bottom of the sixth after sprinting to first base to cover the bag on a misplayed ball by Jon Berti.
According to Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media, Hamilton threw a warmup pitch that ended up at the backstop before leaving the game with a trainer.
The Yankees then brought in lefty Tim Mayza, who allowed an RBI single to Andres Gimenez, which was charged to Hamilton, increasing Cleveland’s lead to 3-1.
This marked Hamilton’s second postseason appearance; his first was in Game 2 of the ALDS, where he struck out three batters over 1.1 scoreless innings.
During the regular season, Hamilton pitched only 37.2 innings due to a lat strain that kept him on the injured list from June 18 to September 7. However, upon his return in September, he posted an impressive 1.13 ERA with 11 strikeouts in eight innings.
Last season, Hamilton was one of the Yankees’ top relievers, finishing with a 2.64 ERA over 58 innings.
If Hamilton’s injury requires a trip to the injured list, righty reliever Mark Leiter Jr. would be a sensible replacement on the ALCS roster.
The Yankees later confirmed that Hamilton is experiencing tightness in his left calf, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
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