Ian Hamilton will be replaced by Mark Leiter Jr. on the Yankees' ALCS roster

Major League Baseball announced that it has approved a right-handed pitcher roster move for the Yankees Ian Hamilton replaced by other rights Mark Leiter Jr. Playoff rules dictate that a player who is sidelined due to injury is ineligible to play in that series and the following, making Hamilton ineligible to play in the World Series if the Yankees advance.

The move doesn't come out of nowhere, as Hamilton was forced out of last night's game against the Guardians due to an injury he apparently sustained while covering first base on a ground ball. The Yankees described his injury as left calf tightness, and it now appears to be so severe that they were forced to make a change.

This could be because they don't expect Hamilton back in the next few weeks or simply because they didn't want to play outnumbered in the next few days. The Yanks are about to play their second of three straight games and used six relievers in last night's ten-inning contest, which they ultimately lost. Even if there was a chance that Hamilton's calf would heal later in this series or in the World Series, they might need the extra arm to get through tonight and tomorrow.

The 29-year-old Hamilton was not the manager's main arm Aaron Booneis bullpen. Last night's performance was just his second appearance in the playoffs this year. But he was solid during the regular season, making 35 appearances with a 3.82 earned run average. He struck out 25.2% of batters faced, walked 8.2% and grounded on 43.8% of balls in the game. He recorded one save and 11 holds this year, with the latter ranking third on the team behind him Luke Weaver And Tommy Kahnle.

The 33-year-old leader has had some strong results of late with the Cubs but has struggled following a deadline deal that sent him to the Bronx. From the start of 2022 until the trade, he posted a 3.85 ERA in 168 1/3 innings for the Cubs. During that time, he had a 28.9% strikeout rate, an 8.8% walk rate and a 47.8% groundball rate.

At the end of July, the Americans sent minor league players Ben Cowles And Jack Neely to the Cubs to take over for Leiter, but after that deal he posted a 4.98 ERA in his 21 appearances for the Yanks. While many Yankee fans groan at the mere mention of Leiter's name, the baseball gods were apparently responsible for many of those runs.

As a Yankee, Leiter's 39% ground ball rate was below average, but his 31.7% strikeout rate was strong and his 8.7% walk rate was about average. But he had a .407 batting average on balls in play and a homer-to-fly ball ratio of 26.1%, both of which are unsustainably high. His 2.86 SIERA in that stretch suggests he was far better than his ERA suggests in this small sample.

Leiter was left off the Yankees' roster for the ALDS and ALCS, but Hamilton's injury opens the door for him. He and the Yankees are hoping for better luck if they want to beat the Guardians and advance to the World Series. They lead the ALCS two games to one with game four scheduled to begin tonight at 8:08 a.m. local time in Cleveland.