BALTIMORE — It was only one outing, but Devin Williams’ first time on the mound not as Yankees closer — at least for now — was a step in the right direction.
With the Yankees trailing by a run in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday night, Aaron Boone called on his embattled reliever and Williams delivered a 1-2-3 inning on 14 pitches with a strikeout in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards.
Making his first appearance since Friday, when he blew a save that led to Boone removing him from the role of closer on Sunday, Williams recorded only his third clean outing of the season (in his 11th appearance).
“Really good. Just liked his look,” Boone said. “It was aggressive, in the strike zone. He was aggressive with his fastball. Every changeup he threw … I liked the depth on the pitch. But also establishing his fastball and in the strike zone with it.
“I thought he had some real good conviction with every pitch he threw.”
When Williams began to warm in the top of the eighth, the Yankees were trailing 4-1.
They pushed across two runs in the inning before Williams took the mound and kept it a one-run game against the Orioles’ 5-7 hitters.
He then returned to a dugout where his teammates were fired up for him.
“Hopefully it’s just little things here that get your mojo [back] and remind you how darn good you are at this game,” Boone said.
With Luke Weaver taking over as closer, it remains to be seen when or how Williams can win the job back – particularly if Weaver handles it as well as he did late last season, when he took over for Clay Holmes.
Williams indicated on Sunday that his bigger immediate concern was “to put up zeroes,” with Monday representing a good start.
After conversations with Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s representatives, the league dropped the one-game suspension he had been facing for violating MLB’s social-media policy.
The Yankees second baseman still had to pay the fine of $5,000 for posting on X (minutes after he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes on April 17), “Not even f–king close!!!!!”
But after Chisholm appealed the suspension, the league took into account the nature of the situation and ultimately decided to rescind it.
Marcus Stroman (left knee inflammation) is still dealing with issues in his knee that have limited him to just playing catch and not yet throwing off a mound since he landed on the IL earlier this month.
“I think he’s just getting some irritation that won’t leave,” Boone said. “Trying to look at everything. I know he’s got some injections in there to try to ease some of that, but not where we need it to be yet.”
Jonathan Loáisiga (UCL surgery) is scheduled to make his second rehab outing on Wednesday with Single-A Tampa before moving up north to a higher-level affiliate.
Before Loáisiga’s 30-day rehab clock is up, the Yankees want to see him pitch on back-to-back days.
Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows) stayed back in New York to continue his ramp-up, which Boone said included “running, on-field stuff [and] hitting.” … Scott Effross (hamstring strain) is expected to advance to throwing live batting practice later this week.
