Yankees: Aroldis Chapman’s foolishness comes at perfect time with Zack Britton’s return

Aroldis Chapman waited until Zack Britton came off the IL to get in a fight. The Yankees lose one closer and gain another.

And now for another episode of “As the Closer Role Turns” for the Yankees. Right on schedule.

Zack Britton’s groin injury rehab officially concluded on Tuesday afternoon, sooner than many of us thought it would, and he was activated to the roster juuuuust in time to throw a scoreless eighth and watch Aroldis Chapman stoke tensions with a 101-mph potential headshot in the ninth against Michael Brosseau.

Regardless of intent, it looked bad. It became the rivalry’s new focal point, thanks to Brosseau and Kevin Cash. And it’s going to get Chapman suspended.

Naturally, the revolving door that ushered in one potential closer (and an eighth inning guy extraordinaire) in Britton seems likely to spin another right out the door. For how long? 8-to-10 days? A significant amount of time, either way, with 26 games to go in 2020.

Britton’s absence proved that, in many ways, he’s the Jenga piece that keeps the whole bullpen intact. As soon as he disappeared, you somehow saw Yankees relievers getting too much and too little work concurrently. Chad Green never pitched, got his rhythm broken, then pitched in two consecutive devastating losses. Chapman came in predictably wild and slow (topping out at 95) in blowing a save to the Mets after 10+ days off. Adam Ottavino found himself in the fourth inning of a doubleheader game? Nothing was correct.

Of course, since this is 2020, Britton came back only to watch another hole be created. But this time, the way the puzzle fits together might make a lot more sense.

This team survived without Chapman for the season’s first several weeks much more seamlessly than they persisted without Britton recently. Ottavino-Loaisiga-Green-Britton still has the rhythm and cadence of an elite bullpen.

Does a likely Chapman suspension shine more of a light on NYY’s inability to add an extra bullpen piece like Archie Bradley? Of course it does. But at the very least, Britton proved himself effective mere seconds before a foolish Chapman decided to throw a large wrench into Aaron Boone’s game plan.

It could be worse. Hopefully, Chapman doesn’t play a few stressed-out games while “appealing” his suspension before slinking back to his luxury apartment with the big ol’ windows.

Just hand the ball to Britton and let him cook. For once in 2020, the Yankees have a Plan B ready without having to also consult Plan C.

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