Yankees looking for Luke Weaver to fill void left by Michael King
Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver throws live batting practice during spring training at the team's facility in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 17. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees brought back Luke Weaver during the offseason on a one-year, $2 million deal with one of baseball’s oldest adages very much in mind.
You can never have enough pitching.
But there was a bit more to it than that. The club had a specific role in mind for the 30-year-old righthander, whom they claimed off waivers last September: filling the spot expertly manned in recent seasons by Michael King.
King, who excelled as a starter after the Yankees began developing him in that role late in 2023, was a flexible bullpen stalwart before that.
The centerpiece — from the Padres’ perspective — of the Juan Soto deal in December, King appeared in various roles depending on the situation. He provided high-leverage innings late in the game and multiple innings in the early or middle innings.
“It’s an interesting task,” Weaver said of handling the role. “There’s a lot of unpredictability that comes with that.”
Weaver, who also could be called upon to spot start on occasion (as King did), has done a little of everything in his career. He made three starts and posted a 3.38 ERA in 13 1⁄3 innings with the Yankees last season.
Weaver features a fastball, changeup and cutter and worked primarily on refining his curveball in the offseason. He has made 106 starts and has appeared in 144 games in his career.
“That gives me comfort and preparedness,” Weaver said of serving multiple roles in the majors. “I don’t think it’s ever going to be something that anybody in that role has mastered. But I think mastering the adjustability on that given day is something you prepare beforehand, especially in spring training, in order to give myself the best chance to feel ready at any given moment.”
Dominguez to hit soon
Aaron Boone said centerfielder Jasson Dominguez, recovering from Tommy John surgery and expected back in June at the earliest, is set to begin the hitting portion of his rehab Monday, doing so off a tee.
“He starts on the right side the first couple of weeks,” Boone said of the switch hitter. “And then he’ll start mixing in the other side.”
