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NY Post
New York Post
7 May 2023


NextImg:Yankees building up Michael King for more late-inning bullpen work

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees have received plenty from right-handed reliever Michael King, who had mostly been dominant through his first 10 appearances of the season.

They hope they can receive even more in the coming weeks.

King, who had been used with at least two days of rest thus far this season, is getting closer to pitching more often. A unique weapon, King has recorded at least four outs and as many as eight in each of his outings.

He typically has been summoned for lengthy spots in games the Yankees believe they can win.

Soon, the Yankees hope, King could be ready to pitch in back-to-back games.

“I would say over the next couple of weeks, it’ll start to happen,” pitching coach Matt Blake said before the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Rays on Saturday afternoon at Tropicana Field. “We’re getting into more nuanced conversations with him, with how he’s feeling.”

The club is being especially careful with King after his transition last year from a long reliever to more frequent use in shorter stints went poorly.

King, who had established himself in the bulk role, was used in a pair of back-to-backs for the first time last July. The bullpen was depleted, having shortly before lost Chad Green, Ron Marinaccio and Jonathan Loaisiga, so King was pressed into more typical relief duties.

The Yankees are building up reliever Michael King to become more of a factor in the late innings.
Corey Sipkin for the NY Post

The Yankees believe the quick transition may have played a factor in King then fracturing his right elbow on July 22.

“I think just looking back on it, if we could script that out a little bit better, we’d probably try and taper that more,” Blake said of King, who is being built up slowly following the surgery that ended his 2022 campaign.

This year, his effectiveness — as well as spotty work from ostensible closer Clay Holmes — has made the notion of more frequent outings from King more appealing.

After a rough season debut, King allowed one run in his next 17 ¹/₃ innings, giving up just 11 hits and three walks in the span.

He recorded two saves, though not traditional ones: All of his outings had been greater than one inning.

It is possible manager Aaron Boone could, in time, see King as a closer who can be summoned frequently.

“We could get there at some point,” Boone said a day after using King to get the final five outs against the Rays. “But he’s so valuable at two, two-plus [innings].

“That could be in play as we move forward, but we got to get to that point where we’re prepared to go back-to-back.”

Michael King is all smiles after a Yankees' win over the Guardians earlier in the season.

Michael King is all smiles after a Yankees’ win over the Guardians earlier in the season.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

The 27-year-old has not reached that point yet. The Yankees have been cautious, beginning in the spring, when they realized King required a bit extra time to recover after his outings, following the surgery.

As the regular season began, King’s velocity still had not fully returned. But after a month of play, his stuff and results have been improving.

“The delivery has gotten crisper, the work in between has gotten crisper, the velo is trending up,” Blake said. “I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now as things continue to evolve.”

King’s arm continuing to respond well would at least give the Yankees an option for a new, reliable ninth-inning arm if they want to convert King to that role.

But it is also possible they will continue using King as a shutdown, several-inning threat because he has proven so valuable in that unique niche.

“I think the biggest thing is finding as many high-leverage spots for him as possible,” Blake said.