Breaking: Yankees received exciting injury report on top reliever

According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, Kahnle is on target to completing his rehabilitation in May. The former Dodger threw his first rehab game on Wednesday and will throw for Single-A Tampa on Saturday.

“I feel good so far,” Kahnle stated on Friday. “I would think that after one more [outing], the things will probably be there. But the rest is simply getting back into the rhythm.”

As long as Saturday’s performance goes well, he’ll be promoted to Double-A Somerset, where he’ll pitch three more games before returning to the Yankees around May 23.

Kahnle is rehabbing from a shoulder injury he sustained last year. After suffering an injury during a live batting practice in March, he was forced to miss the first few months of the season.

“The next day, I threw, and it didn’t feel great,” Kahnle admitted. “So I was like, ‘Great, it’s back!’ So I took five days off and then began throwing, and it’s been fantastic since. I believe I conquered it before it worsened.”

What can New York expect from the 34-year-old now that he is almost ready to return?

Kahnle could help the Yankees’ bullpen get more strikeouts

While the Yankees bullpen has the highest ERA in the MLB at 2.25, it also has the fifth-lowest strikeout rate in the league, at 7.61 per nine innings. Kahnle, who has an 11.04 rating, might improve the unit’s swing-and-miss percentage.

Fortunately, New York’s relievers have been able to throw to contact and get outs.

“They’ve been great,” Kahnle remarked. “I feel like everyone did well. This bullpen, from top to bottom, is excellent. You look at Clay (Holmes), and he’s completely closing the door. Everyone else is pitching way behind him. That is all we need. We just need our bullpen to cover what the starters give us. I mean, we are going to hit the ball. When it gets hotter outside, we’ll see things really take off.”

According to ESPN, Holmes has thrown 17.1 scoreless innings and had 12 saves this season. The Yankees have also had strong seasons from Luke Weaver (2.59 ERA), Ian Hamilton (2.89 ERA), and Dennis Santana (3.24 ERA). However, Kahnle will provide crucial protection, as any of those players could fall behind at any point.

Kahnle is in the second year of his two-year, $11.5 million contract, and he’ll need to have a strong season the rest of the way to secure a new one. This, combined with the competition of sticking out among the Yankees’ other relievers, should provide him with plenty of motivation.

Kahnle also has a more successful track record than the rest of New York’s current relievers. The nine-year veteran has a career ERA of 3.64, demonstrating greater long-term consistency than players such as Weaver and Hamilton. On paper, he should be able to pitch at their level, but that depends on how his shoulder reacts over time.