Yankees will take on a more flexible role from game to game following Devin Williams’ breakdown

Yankees Adjusting Bullpen Strategy

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Yankees recently brought on Devin Williams as one of their key relief pitchers right after acquiring two closers at the trade deadline.

Things might change for the better soon.

After Williams struggled with a save and allowed five runs over the last seven appearances, Aaron Boone signaled he might be more flexible about who takes the mound each night.

“I’m a little more open to using other people,” Boone mentioned at Globe Life Field on Tuesday.

Last April, Boone was more straightforward when he briefly sidestepped Williams as the closer. However, this time, there seemed to be hints of his more creative approach from last September.

Boone now has more options at his disposal. In fact, David Bednar and Camilo Doval have both held closer roles in the past.

“I noticed that we have a lot of closers available,” Boone said. “So I’m going to make decisions based on the situation and find the best ways to set them up for success. It might still be Devin or one of the others with experience. It largely depends on the lineup.”

On Monday, Weaver, Doval, and Bednar all pitched flawless innings, while Williams was on the mound in the ninth and allowed a game-tying homer to Joc Pederson. His ERA for the season sits at 5.10 after 46 games.

Jake Bird, who gave up a three-run homer in a game against Josh John, found himself in a new role recently after being sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees hope this move will help him reset after facing challenges for much of July before the Rockies made trades.

“He had a lot of success early on but has faced some tough times lately,” Boone said. “We still have high hopes for him—not just this year but for the long haul. This should give him a good reset.”

The Yankees also designated JT Brubaker for assignment, making room to activate Mark Leiter Jr. from the injured list.

Leiter, who has been out since early July with a stress fracture in his left arm, could offer Boone another reliable option for a bullpen that has struggled recently.