ALCS: Michael King and Injured Yankees Relievers Travel With Club
On Wednesday, the Yankees welcomed reliever Michael King to the Bronx. Injured reliever David Robertson will miss this week’s series against the Rays, but the Yanks have called up King to serve as their long man once Robertson returns.
King, who’s been placed on the 60-day disabled list with a right forearm strain, is 6-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 23 games (one start) for the Yankees this season. He’s made seven appearances out of the pen, pitching 4 1/3 innings (three earned) before being shut down in July, his third stint in the Yankees’ bullpen this season.
“Yeah, the news was a little bit unexpected,” King said, per MLB.com’s Tim HeORE (via NOLA.com). “I was on the [injured list] for most of the year until I went on the DL. It’s been crazy.”
Despite the fact that he missed most of last season and all of last year after surgery, King has pitched well in the post-season. In each of the last two postseason trips for the Yankees, King has pitched at least 3.2 innings of work. So far, he’s posted a 0.00 ERA in four postseason appearances.
“I feel like I’ve been very efficient for my bullpen role,” King said, via HeORE. “I feel like if I’m in the game, the job is done. We’ve got a couple guys who are pretty much locked into starting, which can help us in the bullpen.”
While King is an interesting pickup, it’s not like the Yankees are going to get a lot of wins out of him. After all, Robertson has been worth just two wins during his tenure in New York.
“He’s been an all-star,” King said. “He’s had a tremendous season, and he’s been a big part of the team. Obviously, [
