NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Weaver felt fine about everything in his return for the New York Yankees — except the fastball for a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning.
Weaver was activated from the injured list Friday, but his first game back from a strained left hamstring was spoiled when Urías poked a full-count 96.4 mph fastball into the first row of the right field seats for the Baltimore Orioles.
“I feel great,” Weaver said after taking the loss in the Yankees’ 5-3 defeat. “The only thing that hurts is my heart and mind. So, at the end of the day, my leg feels great. The velocity’s there. All the pitches are there. So, I had everything I needed to be successful. It’s just a game which (it) didn’t happen.”
After jogging in from the bullpen to the “Imperial March” from Star Wars and Gary Wright’s “Dreamweaver,” Weaver got ahead with his fastball and changeup. He threw two changeups to even the count and another fastball for a full-count.
On the next pitch, Urías hit a 337-foot jump that just went over the leaping try of Aaron Judge and deflected off a fan’s shirt in the first row.
Following the homer, Weaver struck out Colton Cowser but walked Gary Sánchez and allowed a single to pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn. After Dylan Carlson lined out, Tim Hill allowed a RBI single to pinch-hitter Gunnar Henderson.
Weaver gave up two runs and two hits in two-thirds of an inning. It was the third homer allowed in 25 appearances for the right-hander, who missed 17 games.
“I don’t think that far off,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Weaver. “They just took advantage of some pitches.”
while warming up before a on June 1 at Dodger Stadium. After being placed on the injured list, the Yankees thought Weaver might be out until early July or through the All-Star break.
Instead, Weaver began feeling better quickly and said the pain disappeared shortly after the injury. He took his final steps in his rehab by Tuesday after throwing three side sessions.
Weaver has a 1.71 ERA with eight saves in nine opportunities in 25 appearances. He ascended into the closer’s role by converting six saves in seven chances after Devin Williams posted an 11.25 ERA in his first 10 appearances and was removed from that spot on April 27.
“I kind of look at (it) with him and Devin like we got two elite guys back there, obviously with how well Devin’s been throwing the ball the last month,” Boone said Friday before the game.
A 31-year-old who can become a free agent after the season, Weaver supplanted Clay Holmes as closer last September.
From May 20-22, Weaver became the first Yankees pitcher to make appearance on three consecutive regular-season days since Aroldis Chapman in September 2021 — though Weaver’s first outing in that stretch lasted just two pitches, and the three totaled 18.
Williams converted all four save chances while Weaver was injured and has a 1.76 ERA in his last 16 appearances since May 5.
The Yankees cleared room for Weaver by optioning Jayvien Sandridge to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre. Sandridge was called up Thursday when Yerry De los Santos went on the injured list with right elbow discomfort.
___
AP MLB:
