Weaver earned a save against Tampa Bay on Friday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.
It was a bit curious that manager Aaron Boone went to Weaver and not Devin Williams with the Yankees holding a one-run lead in the ninth inning, though Williams had worked the day before and on three of the previous four days. Weaver proved more than capable of nailing things down, as he threw 12 of 15 pitches for strikes en route to a clean frame and his second save of the year. After some struggles early this season, Williams has rebounded to toss four consecutive scoreless outings, so he remains the Yankees' clear top closer. However, Weaver has shined so far this season with 10 scoreless frames and an 11:5 K:BB over eight outings, and he's clearly the top option for ninth-inning opportunities when Williams is unavailable.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Locks down first save of 2025
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Weaver picked up the save after not allowing a baserunner in 1.1 innings Thursday against Arizona. He struck out one.
The Yankees got out to a massive 9-3 lead Thursday, but the Diamondbacks made the game interesting with a four-run surge in the seventh inning. That prompted manager Aaron Boone to turn to one of his high-leverage arms, and Weaver locked down his first save of the campaign while pouring in 15 of his 19 pitches for strikes. Although the right-hander is not the team's first option in save situations due to the arrival of Devin Williams (personal), Weaver emerged as a major weapon out of New York's bullpen in the second half of last season and should still see some save chances in 2025.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Club option picked up
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The Yankees exercised Weaver's $2.5 million club option for 2025 on Friday.
In his first full season with the Yankees, Weaver turned in a 2.89 ERA and 0.93 WHIP across 84 innings -- a stark contrast from the 5.85 ERA and 1.51 WHIP he had accumulated over the previous four years. The Yankees will gladly keep him around for relatively cheap, and there's a chance he begins 2025 as New York's closer after moving into the role toward the end of the season.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Gets tough blown save
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Weaver was saddled with a blown save Wednesday against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, letting two inherited runners score while permitting one hit and one walk over 1.1 frames.
He was put into an impossible situation, taking over for Tommy Kahnle in the top of the eighth inning after Kahnle had loaded the bases with no one out. Weaver didn't permit a hit or a walk in the frame, but a pair of sac flies turned a one-run Yankees lead to a one-run deficit. He returned for the ninth inning and was pulled with one out and two runners on before Mark Leiter came on to escape the jam. The Yankees have a $2.5 million club option on Weaver for 2025, which they will undoubtedly pick up. He could open next season as the club's closer after finishing this year in the role.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Gets five outs for save
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Weaver struck out three over 1.2 perfect innings to earn the save in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Athletics.
Clay Holmes struggled in the eighth inning, but Weaver was able to escape without trouble. Weaver then stayed in for the ninth to close out the contest and earn his fourth save, all of which have come over his last seven appearances. Weaver is now at a 2.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 101:26 K:BB over 83 innings this season, and he continues to pitch in the highest-leverage moments.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Grabs third save
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Weaver allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out three over one inning to earn the save in Friday's 4-2 extra-inning win over the Athletics.
Weaver was able to protect a three-run lead despite yielding a run on JJ Bleday's RBI single. This was just the third time in 19 outings since the start of August that Weaver has been scored on, and he gave up multiple runs in each of the other two instances. He's up to three saves and 23 holds this year while maintaining a 2.99 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 98:26 K:BB over 81.1 innings. Weaver has thrived in his second stint as a reliever, and while he's not the official closer for the Yankees just yet, he appears to be the team's top high-leverage arm.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Not anointed closer just yet
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that while Weaver could close out "a lot" of games, the skipper stopped short of naming the right-hander his closer, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Boone noted that he wouldn't hesitate to use Weaver earlier in the game if the situation calls for it. Weaver has notched two saves since Clay Holmes was demoted from the closer role and boasts a dominant 16:3 K:BB over 7.1 scoreless innings during that time. However, while Weaver might be the favorite to lead the Yankees in saves down the stretch, it doesn't sound like Boone is eager to have defined roles in the back end of his bullpen.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Snags sixth win
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Weaver (6-3) picked up the win in an extra-inning battle against the Mariners on Wednesday, allowing one walk over 1.2 scoreless innings while striking out four.
Weaver relieved Clay Holmes with one out in the bottom of the eighth after the latter surrendered a solo home run to Justin Turner to tie the game at 1-1. The 31-year-old Deland native then got the next two batters to go down on strikes before adding another two strikeouts in the ninth. The win was Weaver's sixth on the campaign, and he's now logged multiple strikeouts in five-consecutive appearances. He sports a 2.16 ERA in September to go along with a dominant 17:3 K:BB.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Earns two-inning save
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Weaver allowed one hit over two scoreless innings Friday. He struck out five and earned a save against the Red Sox.
Weaver gave up a single in the eighth inning but had little trouble closing out the 5-4 victory. He allowed two runs in a Sep. 2 appearance but has since struck out 12 over 5.2 scoreless frames while earning a win, two saves and a hold during that span. Weaver now owns a 3.09 ERA with a 91:25 K:BB over 78.2 innings. With Clay Holmes seemingly out of the ninth-inning picture, Weaver should be expected to see more save opportunities down the stretch.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Nabs first career save
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Weaver worked around a walk in a scoreless ninth inning against the Cubs on Friday en route to his first career save. He struck out two batters.
Isaac Paredes made Weaver work for the final out, but Weaver ultimately shut the door on his 25th pitch to earn the first save of his nine-year MLB career. Manager Aaron Boone said earlier in the week that the club would get "creative" with the closer role in light of Clay Holmes' struggles in the ninth inning, and while Weaver has not been part of the saves mix until now, he leads the team in holds and would appear to have the leg up for save chances down the stretch.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Chance for saves
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Weaver could be a candidate to receive save chances after Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that the team will get "creative" with the closer role going forward, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Clay Holmes blew his 11th save of the season Tuesday, prompting the Yankees to shake up the ninth-inning situation. Boone didn't officially demote Holmes or name replacement options, but Weaver is an obvious candidate since he leads the team with 22 holds. He's been effective with a 3.33 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 79:23 K:BB across 73 innings. Mark Leiter and Tommy Kahnle could also be in the mix.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Back on track with 21st hold
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Weaver picked up a hold against the Rockies on Friday, walking one batter and striking out one in a scoreless inning of work.
After Carlos Rodon started and gave New York six scoreless frames, Weaver followed in the seventh and worked around a two-out walk to keep the shutout going. The hold was the righty reliever's team-leading 21st of the campaign after he entered the season without any holds over eight years that were mostly spent as a starter. Weaver has recorded five consecutive scoreless outings following a five-run implosion in a loss against Texas on Aug. 10.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Registers 13th hold
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Weaver picked up a hold with a perfect inning of work against the Orioles on Friday.
Weaver needed just six pitches to retire the side in the eighth. After spending the majority of his career as a starter, the veteran righty has thrived as a high-leverage reliever for New York this season. Weaver leads the Yankees with 13 holds while recording a 2.52 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 57:13 K:BB over 35 appearances covering 53.2 innings.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Extends scoreless innings streak
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Weaver struck out three batters, walked one and gave up two hits over two scoreless innings in relief in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Twins.
Weaver covered the seventh and eighth frames Wednesday, allowing a single in each inning but keeping the Twins off the scoreboard. The veteran right-hander has gone 17.1 frames without giving up an earned run, lowering his season ERA to 2.25 in the process. Weaver has posted an outstanding 30:5 K:BB across 28 innings on the season and has tallied the first five holds of his career after spending most of his previous eight campaigns as a starter.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Covers 3.1 innings Wednesday
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Weaver (neck) struck out two over 3.1 scoreless innings Wednesday in the Yankees' 12-0 win over the Pirates in Grapefruit League play. He scattered two hits and one walk.
Weaver was making his first spring appearance since March 7, after a stiff neck had kept him from pitching for nearly two weeks. He took on his biggest workload of the spring in terms of innings (3.1) and pitches (50) in his return and turned in excellent numbers to bolster his case for winning a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day rotation. Weaver appeared poised for a long-relief role heading into spring training, but a rotation spot opened up when Gerrit Cole (elbow) succumbed to an injury that could entail a multi-month recovery.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Scratched with stiff neck
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Weaver has been scratched from Tuesday's scheduled start versus the Blue Jays due to a stiff neck, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Dennis Santana will take the ball instead. Weaver -- who is slated for a long-relief role in 2024 -- should be considered day-to-day.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Signs with Yankees
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Weaver signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Weaver bounced around between the Reds, Mariners and Yankees last season with limited overall success. However, he logged a 3.38 ERA and 1.27 WHIP through 13.1 innings with New York, so the Yankees will bring Weaver back as a potential option at the back end of the rotation.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Middling in final start of 2023
Rotowire
Weaver (1-2) took the loss Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over four innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out six.
All of the damage against Weaver came via the long ball, with Daulton Varsho and Matt Chapman each tagging him for a solo homer. Though Weaver will finish the 2023 campaign with an ugly 6.40 ERA across 123.2 innings, he showed signs of progress after being added in mid-September by the Yankees, logging a 3.38 ERA and a 16:3 K:BB over three starts (13.1 innings) with the team.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Blanks Arizona in Friday's win
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Weaver (3-5) picked up the win Friday, allowing four hits over 5.1 scoreless innings in a 7-1 victory over the Diamondbacks. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The veteran right-hander tossed 52 of 78 pitches for strikes in his second straight impressive outing since being claimed off waivers from the Mariners. In two starts and 9.1 innings for the Yankees, Weaver has a 2.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB. He lines up for one more start before the end of the regular season, on the road next week in Toronto.
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Yankees' Luke Weaver: Could get weekend start
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Weaver could start a game this weekend in Pittsburgh, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Weaver was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Tuesday and officially joined the Yankees' active roster for the second half of Thursday's doubleheader in Boston. The 30-year-old right-hander has struggled to a 6.77 ERA in 110.1 major-league innings this season and should probably be ignored in the majority of fantasy leagues, regardless of his role.
