Chapman struck out the first batter of the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday in the Yankees’ 8-5 victory at the Rogers Centre, but then left the mound with a recurrence of left knee tendinitis that he has dealt with for the past two months.
“I don’t think today was anything too extreme from what he’s been dealing with much of the year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It was more me getting him out of there because of the score.”
He is considered day-to-day.
Chapman entered the game in the ninth with a four-run lead, a non-save situation.
“With a four-run lead, I didn’t want to take any chances with it,” Boone said. “He said he was fine to continue.”
Chasen Shreve replaced the left-hander and finished the game, allowing a home run to Aledmys Diaz.
The teams will go for the series win Sunday afternoon with the Yankees (57-29) sending out right-hander Domingo German (2-4, 5.37 ERA) and the Blue Jays (41-47) will start left-hander Ryan Borucki (0-1, 2.77).
The Yankees also lost center fielder Aaron Hicks to a cramp and hamstring tightness in his left leg in the fifth inning. Toronto reliever Rhiner Cruz left the game with a groin injury in the top of the ninth.
Hicks will be likely given Sunday off. No MRI has been done at this stage, so Boone hoped the day off would be enough.
“He feels like he’s OK,” Boone said.
Clint Frazier, who was called up from Triple-A, took over in left field when Hicks was removed with Brett Gardner moving from left to center.
In a twist to the game, the Yankees scored six runs and had four hits and six walks in 2 2/3 innings against Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ, a pitcher they could be interested in obtaining before the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers.
It was the second poor start in a row for Happ, who gave up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Happ said the rumors of a trade, possibly to the Yankees, did not influence his start.
“It really doesn’t change. I was ready to pitch. I was excited to pitch http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-lamar-jackson-jersey , I felt good,” Happ said. “I don’t know. I think you try to flush this one as best you can and it’s going to be a tough couple of days in between, but hopefully you bounce back.
“I don’t think these last two are really indicative of how I’ve pitched the last several years, so you try to flip the script as best as you can and just move forward.
“I’m just focused on playing for the Blue Jays right now. There’s rumors out there. You never know what’s speculation, what’s true, and what has any realistic chance. I’m just trying to play and pitch. I’m happy right here and we’ll see what happens.”
German will make his 17th appearance and 11th start of the year for the Yankees. He has faced Toronto twice in his career, both in relief, going 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA.
In German’s only outing against the Blue Jays this season, he allowed two runs, two hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Borucki will make his third career outing (all starts) when he pitches against the Yankees for the first time. He allowed two runs, six hits and no walks and had eight strikeouts Monday but did not factor in the decision against the Detroit Tigers.
The Yankees are 8-4 against the Blue Jays this season and 5-3 at the Rogers Centre. They last had five wins in Toronto in 2009 when they were 6-3.
The Blue Jays are 4-4 on a homestand that ends Sunday.
MILWAUKEE — Lorenzo Cain is eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday but won’t quite be ready to go when the Milwaukee Brewers wrap up their three-game series against the Minnesota Twins with a matinee at Miller Park.
Cain has been sidelined since June 24 with a strained left groin and had been making progress in his rehab but isn’t 100 percent yet and will need a little more time, manager Craig Cousnell said.
“He had a good day on the field, but there’s enough caution there that we have to get over the last hurdle,” Counsell said. “We’re not to 100 percent yet. We’re definitely going in a good direction.”
Christian Yelich has been out since the first inning of Sunday’s game thanks to a stiff back but he took batting practice for a third straight day Tuesday and came into the game as a ninth-inning defensive sub, leaving him on the verge of returning to the lineup — perhaps as early as Wednesday.
“He’s feeling pretty good,” Counsell said. “I’m very optimistic.”
With both Cain and Yelich out, and Jesus Aguilar punishing opposing pitchers while playing first base, Eric Thames has become a regular in Milwaukee’s outfield. Since returning from a 40-day stint on the disabled list June 12 http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-josh-allen-jersey , Thames has made five starts at first and 10 in the outfield. He’s appeared in 18 games overall since returning, batting .226 with four home runs and 11 RBIs during that stretch but has been red-hot over the last week with three home runs over his last six games.
“I’m just trying to have quality at-bats and trying not to hit 30 home runs in the first week to try and catch back up with everybody else,” said Thames, who’s third on the team with 12 home runs this season. “I’m just trying to have good at-bats, get on base, take my walks, trying not to swing at everything that comes over the plate like I did in Cincinnati. I’m just trying to take a quality at-bat and help the team win.”
Thames’ two-run homer was the difference in Milwaukee’s victory Tuesday and gave the Brewers at least one home run in each of their last nine games.
Jose Berrios will try to stop that streak Wednesday as he leads the Twins in their efforts to avoid a sweep. The right-hander served up two home runs his last time out as he was dinged for six runs on six hits and four walks over just 4 1/3 innings by the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
“I don’t know if it’s the hottest game I’ve thrown, but coming from 80 degrees to almost 100, I felt it out there,” Berrios said through an interpreter. “I wanted to keep competing for my team. … I kind of felt like I lost stamina out there because it was so hot. It just was what it was.
“I tried to execute my pitches. I struck out (two). I kept trying to battle. It wasn’t my day today.”
It was Berrios’ worst outing of the season and snapped what had been an impressive stretch for the young right-hander. He’d gone 5-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his eight previous starts, striking out 69 with just 11 walks in 57 innings of work.
“Jose was just a little off,” manager Paul Molitor said. “Command of fastball, a couple breaking balls that he got hurt on. … Glanced up there now and then. (His velocity) was maybe down a mile or two from what you would expect.”
Wednesday will mark his first career appearance against the Brewers, who counter with right-hander Chase Anderson.
Anderson allowed just a run over six innings in his last outing, Friday at Cincinnati, and is 3-3 with a 4.40 ERA in eight starts since returning from the disabled list on May 20.
He’s faced Minnesota just once in his career and took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits over five innings back on April 18, 2016.