New York Yankees Editorial: What Is Wrong With Chasen Shreve?

Chasen Shreve is falling fast. In a matter of days, the 25-year-old southpaw has morphed from a reliable option out of the Yankees bullpen into a detriment to a team trying to make it to the postseason.

Shreve’s recent string of subpar performances began against the Baltimore Orioles on September 8. After eight brilliant innings of one-run ball from starter Masahiro Tanaka, Shreve came on in relief and served up what would be the game-winning home run to the Orioles’ Chris Davis leading off the top of the ninth inning. Shreve surrendered two more hits in the frame before he was bailed out by an inning ending strike-him-out-throw-him-out double play. His final line for the evening: an inning pitched, one run and three hits. Shreve was dealt his second loss of the season.

In Friday night’s 11-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Shreve’s struggles continued. He came on to pitch the top half of the seventh inning with the Yankees already trailing 9-5. Shreve gave up a lead-off single to Justin Smoak, which was promptly followed up by a two-run home run by Russell Martin. Shreve managed to record two outs before a single by Ben Revere chased him from the game. His numbers on the night: two-thirds of an inning, two runs and three hits.

While both of those outings were below average to say the least, neither of them compare to the utterly dreadful performance Shreve put together in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Blue Jays. Brought in after Bryan Mitchell loaded the bases courtesy of two walks and a hit batter in the top of the eleventh, Shreve proceeded to walk Martin, giving the Blue Jays a 6-5 lead. After a Revere RBI single and a pair of bases-loaded walks given up to Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista, the Blue Jays led 9-5, and Shreve was pulled from the ballgame. The lefty’s final stats: one-third of an inning, one run, one hit, and 3 absolutely demoralizing walks.

So, all of this begs the question: What is wrong with Chasen Shreve? Right off the top, his confidence looks to be shaken. Going back to the game against the Orioles on September 8, Shreve was brought in to pitch in the ninth inning, a spot he is not accustomed to being in. If already being in unfamiliar territory wasn’t enough, surrendering a backbreaking long ball to Davis to lead off the inning certainly was not the confidence booster Shreve was looking for. Both his facial expression and body language shifted to that of a defeated man after the Davis home run.

This loss of confidence continued on into the series with the Blue Jays, where it culminated earlier this afternoon in rather agonizing fashion. Not only did Shreve allow the go-ahead to run score via the base on balls, he allowed two more insurance runs to score in the same fashion. He had trouble finding the strike zone right from the start, and he looked lost the entire time he was out on the Yankee Stadium rubber.

Shreve’s recent shortcomings can also be credited to his increased workload. Prior to this season, Shreve had only pitched in 15 career games. In those 15 games, he logged just 12.1 innings. In contrast, Shreve has appeared in 52 games for the Yankees this season, and his innings total now stands at an even 55. While he is a young pitcher and should not really be feeling so taxed, Shreve looks to be overworked and overwhelmed of late. In what really is his first full season in the Majors, Shreve seems like he is beginning to realize just how much of a grind the 162 game MLB season really is.

An important part of the Yankees bullpen down the stretch, Shreve really needs to get his act together. The team can ill afford any more of his slip-ups, and need Shreve to right the ship before he inflicts any further damage to the Yankees’ playoff hopes.

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