Aroldis Chapman Didn't Let COVID-19 Stop Him

reportdoor.com

The Yankees improve to 16-6 (10 in a row at Yankee Stadium against Boston) to sweep the Red Sox to remain atop the AL East. The Bronx Bombers dominated Boston's pitching, but the story of the night has to be the return of Aroldis Chapman from the clutches of the coronavirus. If you had any doubt about Chappy's ability to come back, then you may want to know that he was clocking pitches that were ranging in the 100s in his first game back as the official closer of the Bronx Bombers' squad. You read that right, the YANKS are doing well on the home front so far and CHAPPY just added some PITCHING swag in his return from COVID-19. His pitches had a lot of life in his first game back in the pinstripes.

The New York Yankee closer didn't mess around, as he showed his team that he was doing his homework in quarantine.

Although he was a bit rusty, he did show the Boston Red Sox a glimpse of what he can attack the strike zone with. "The Cuban Missile", as he has become known as in baseball, topped out at 100.3 mph. Although Chappy showed that he can still throw very hard, he surrendered a run on a triple from Jose Peraza and then a double from Jonathan Arauz.

When Chapman took the mound in the Monday night finale against Boston in the Bronx, it was his regular-season debut of 2020. He tested positive for the coronavirus during Summer Camp and although he only experienced mild symptoms, it was a long road back to back-to-back negative tests.

Over the last few weeks, the left-hander has been building up to a physical state-of-being where all the signs point him to being ready for a comeback. He was throwing to live hitters twice at the Yankees' alternate site before he got the okay to come off the injured list.

With what seems to be a stocked back end of the bullpen now, it would seem that Aaron Boone and his coaching staff have what could be considered a good problem. After all, what manager wouldn't want to have the option of calling upon the reigning American League Reliever of the Year to get big outs from the back end of the bullpen.

All that matters is, in his first game back from a major illness, he was able to perform as the closer for his team and secure a sweep over an American League rival.