The Yankees fined their struggling relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman for an unexcused absence from a mandatory team workout Friday at Yankee Stadium, and he will not be on the team’s roster for its American League division series against the Cleveland Guardians, which begins Tuesday.
After the regular season ended Wednesday in Arlington, Texas, Chapman flew home to Miami for the team’s day off Thursday. He chose not to return to New York for Friday’s practice, for which he had been scheduled to throw a live batting practice session, Manager Aaron Boone said.
“I was disappointed,” Boone said. He called Chapman’s excuse “not acceptable,” saying, “I think he questioned whether he’s going to be on the roster or not, but he needed to be here.” Boone talked to Chapman by phone after Friday’s workout and told him to stay away from the team for now.
Given his inconsistencies on the mound, Chapman’s status for the team’s first round of the playoffs had been in doubt. In a season in which he had two stints on the injured list, including one for an infection stemming from a leg tattoo, Chapman posted a 4.46 earned run average, had his highest walk rate in 11 years and lost the closer’s role to Clay Holmes.
Chapman was not immediately available for comment. A message was left for him with his personal assistant Sunday.
As recently as last season, Chapman, 34, was an All-Star. But his trademark triple-digit velocity has eroded over the years, and his strikeout rate and command worsened. Although opponents hit .188 against him this season, he walked 28 batters in 36⅓ innings.
The Yankees’ bullpen has been shaken by injuries this season, including to Wandy Peralta and Holmes, both of whom are expected back for the division series. (Holmes, though, had been sputtering of late after a stellar first half.) Without other bullpen options like Zack Britton, Chad Green, Michael King and Ron Marinaccio, Chapman was competing for a roster spot for the series against the Guardians.
