Why Yankees Left Aroldis Chapman Off Initial Postseason Roster

The New York Yankees bullpen just got a tad more spotty.

Aroldis Chapman, the defacto Yankees closer, was left of New York’s American League Division Series roster for no-showing the team’s Friday workout, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.

“There was no legitimate reason why he wasn’t here,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in a Sunday press conference, calling Chapman’s decision to go AWOL “shocking” but not “surprising.”

Cashman says Chapman was fined by the team for not participating in what was a mandatory workout. He is now home in Miami.

Whether Chapman was going to make the team’s postseason roster in the first place was a question. Once the Yankees closer, Chapman has struggled his way through the season to the tune of a 4.46 ERA in 36 1/3 innings pitched across just 43 games. The 34-year-old only registered nine saves in the regular season, his lowest in a 162-game season since 2011.

This isn’t the first incident New York has had to deal with because of Chapman’s poor decision-making. He was placed on the injured list earlier this season due to an infection he suffered after getting a tattoo.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t rule out Chapman for the entire postseason, per Adler, though the likelihood that he makes the AL Championship Series roster should New York advance is low. He will be a free agent at season’s end.

The Yankees will begin their ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday in the Bronx.