The Yankees will try to steady themselves Tuesday night in the Bronx when Ryan Weathers faces the Angels at 7:05 pm ET. The left-hander has made two brief and uneven outings to begin his Yankees career, but he comes in off his best work yet: one run in eight innings against the Athletics.
That outing mattered because the Yankees acquired Weathers this offseason and have already reshaped his mix, turning his sinker into his top secondary pitch. The problem is that hitters have not been fooled. Opponents have hit.421 against the pitch, a reminder that the adjustment has not yet produced clean results even after the strong start last time out.
The Yankees need that progress now. They had dropped two of three to the Athletics and then were swept by the Rays before this mid-week series against an Angels club that was 8-8 and finished last in the AL West last year. The setup gives New York a chance to reset quickly, and Weathers gives them a starter whose stuff has shown both promise and volatility since the move to the Bronx.
Across the mound will be Reid Detmers, who is scheduled to start Tuesday after allowing no runs in 6.2 innings against the Mariners in his last outing, then giving up six runs against the Athletics in his next one. Detmers has largely been a two-pitch pitcher so far this year, leaning on a four-seamer that has been hit hard and a slider that has held opponents to a.167 batting average.
He was moved back into the Angels rotation this season after succeeding as a reliever last year, which adds another layer to a game that already carries urgency for both clubs. For the Yankees, the question is whether Weathers’ last start was a real turn or just a brief pause in the inconsistency that has defined his first weeks in pinstripes. The answer will matter quickly if they want this series to change the tone around them.
