\u201cThat\u2019s the reality of our situation the last couple of months, where we have been playing these nip-and-tuck games every single day,\u201d manager Aaron Boone said over the weekend in Toronto. \u201cBut obviously, you\u2019ve got to balance that with the long-term health and potential success of your club, too. We\u2019re on top of it as best we can be, communicating with them and trying to do what\u2019s right in the here and now and keep the big picture in mind, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Headrick is well aware of his workload. He said he feels great, though his recent numbers haven\u2019t been sterling. In eight August appearances entering Tuesday\u2019s 3-1 road win over the Baltimore Orioles, his 3.86 ERA was his highest in any month of this season. Against the Orioles, Headrick allowed the first two batters to reach base in the seventh inning. Then he recovered for two straight outs before Cruz rescued him, recording the final out of the frame.<\/p>\n
Headrick attributed his ability to work so often to several factors. Bullpen coach Preston Claiborne and assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel have monitored his throwing between outings and often ask how he\u2019s feeling.<\/p>\n
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\n Manager Aaron Boone takes the ball from Brent Headrick in the seventh inning Tuesday. The lefty is on pace to make 82 appearances. (Mitch Stringer \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
The Yankees also don\u2019t believe in pitchers simply keeping their arms loose with mindless throwing. They track everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe monitor not only how much they throw,\u201d Claiborne said, \u201cbut we incorporate the off days. Guys who have gone back to back may take a full day off (and) get full recovery, so they don\u2019t throw as often \u2014 even in catch play, which has been a huge help to the health of our bullpen and keeping guys fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n
During pregame warmups, the Yankees arrange iPhones around the group of relievers playing catch to record and track the particulars of every throw, including velocity, using an app called Pocket Radar. That information then gets fed into a data model that advises pitchers on how much effort they should exert on a given day.<\/p>\n
Headrick said he\u2019ll often throw very little between outings, \u201celiminating the extra stressors outside of it as much as possible. All of my workload is coming from the game. But I\u2019m still able to be built up and go out there with as close to the best version of myself as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut no matter what the data says,\u201d Headrick said, \u201cit always comes down to how I feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was welcome news years ago to longtime MLB reliever Scott Proctor, who in 2007 was told by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman that he needed to be honest with then-manager Joe Torre about when he was too exhausted to pitch instead of just throwing on fumes.<\/p>\n
Proctor pitched in 83 games with a 3.52 ERA for the Yankees in 2006. He pitched in 83 games again the following season, but the Yankees traded him at the deadline after 52 appearances to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Proctor made another 41 appearances for the Dodgers in 2008 but needed Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2009 season. He retired after 2011.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t grow up wanting to be an every-fifth-day guy,\u201d said Proctor, now a 49-year-old private wealth advisor. \u201cWe grew up wanting to be an impactful guy. Your guys are on the field fighting every day to win, and you want to help.\u201d<\/p>\n