TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees left-hander Justin Wilson gestured toward the bench after his final pitch in Monday’s Grapefruit League exhibition against the Phillies, before walking off the field with tightness in his left shoulder.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Wilson is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Tuesday.
Wilson faced four batters and retired none in the appearance, permitting a Rhys Hoskins single and a long two-run homer to Didi Gregorius. He issued a walk to Alex Bohm and, facing Odúbel Herrera, tossed his 20th pitch of the inning before pointing to the dugout.
Boone and athletic trainer Steve Donohue attended to the 33-year-old Wilson, who has pitched to a 23.14 ERA in four appearances this spring.
“The way he described it was that he was having a hard time getting loose out there,” Boone said.
Wilson signed a $2.85 million deal with the Yankees in February that includes a $2.3 million player option or a $7.15 million club option for the 2022 season, with a $1.15 million buyout.
The Yankees lost left-hander Zack Britton to injury earlier this spring. The veteran underwent surgery to remove a bone chip and loose bodies from his pitching elbow and is expected to miss the first half of the regular season.
In Britton’s absence, Boone has said that he anticipated Wilson, Chad Green and Darren O’Day filling important roles to set up for closer Aroldis Chapman. Wilson’s injury could elevate contenders like Michael King, Jonathan Loaisiga, Lucas Luetge, Tyler Lyons and Nick Nelson into more significant roles.
“I’ve talked a lot about how impressed I’ve been with our depth,” Boone said. “I feel like there’s a number of guys that we could turn to if we got in a situation. First things first, we’ll get [Wilson’s shoulder] looked at [Tuesday] and hope that it’s not something that sets him back too much.”
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