Mark Leiter Jr. Fantasy Stats

The New York Yankees made just one change to their roster between the Wild Card Round and the team's American League Division Series matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays. Veteran right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. has been left off the roster in favor of starting pitcher Luis Gil, who will get the ball in Game 1. Leiter Jr. pitched 48 1/3 relief innings for the Yankees this season, recording a 4.84 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with 54 strikeouts. The Yankees opted to include veteran right-hander Paul Blackburn at the back end of their bullpen rather than Leiter Jr., likely because Blackburn can provide more length to save the rest of the bullpen in the case of a blowout game.

New York Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports. The Yankees have already cleared space in their bullpen by optioning right-hander Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre and designating righty JT Brubaker for assignment. Leiter last pitched July 6 before going on the IL with a left fibula stress fracture. Although he suffered the injury a couple of weeks before his IL placement, Leiter tried to pitch through it before the Yankees shut him down. He'll return to a bullpen that is in a state of turmoil despite the acquisitions of Bird, David Bednar, and Camilo Doval at the July 31 trade deadline. Leiter has posted an uninspiring 4.46 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP in 34 1/3 innings, but he has been a good source of holds (11) and strikeouts (46). His strong xERA (3.58), FIP (2.79), and xFIP (2.96) suggest he has pitched much better than his ERA indicates.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) could come off the 15-day injured list when the team is in Texas for a series against the Rangers from Monday, Aug. 4, through Wednesday, Aug. 6. Leiter threw a live batting practice session on Thursday. The 34-year-old has been sidelined since early July with a left fibula stress fracture, but despite all the missed time, he could return to the team's bullpen early next week. When Leiter does return, he'll be coming back to a 4.46 ERA (2.77 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and 12 walks in 34 1/3 relief innings over 41 appearances out of the bullpen in the Bronx. He's been a bit unlucky on the mound this year and has demonstrated solid command, but he won't really be on the fantasy radar down the stretch.

New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) and reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) are both working their way through throwing programs, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Yarbrough has been out since late June with an oblique strain and has yet to begin throwing from a mound. The 33-year-old was solid in a hybrid starter/reliever role before getting injured, throwing 55 1/3 innings (8 starts) with a 3.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 49 strikeouts, and three wins. Yarbrough could be in the mix for the Yankees as a back-end starter or long reliever upon his return. Leiter Jr. suffered a stress fracture in his left leg in late June and attempted to pitch through the injury before being placed on the 15-day injured list in early July. Hoch reports that the team plans for Leiter Jr. to progress to a bullpen session next week. In 34 1/3 innings before getting hurt, Leiter Jr. was 4-6 with a 4.46 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 46 strikeouts, and two saves. He's an option in middle and late relief for the Yankees, but not a serious threat to rack up saves.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) is hopeful to resume a throwing program this weekend, according to manager Aaron Boone. Leiter recently landed on the injured list due to a stress fracture in his leg. The Yankees haven't given much of a timetable for Leiter's return yet. The expectation is that he's going to need longer than the minimum 15 days. There should be more updates on his status once he's able to begin throwing again this weekend. Leiter isn't much of a fantasy option right now with his lack of save chances.

New York Yankees right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) hit the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a left fibular head stress fracture in his leg. The team recalled righty Clayton Beeter from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Leiter's roster spot. Leiter suffered the injury covering first base in a game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 24, but he tried to pitch through it over the past couple of weeks. That proved unwise, as Leiter went on to yield four earned runs over 2 1/3 innings in four appearances before going on the IL. Thanks in part to his recent struggles, the 34-year-old owns a subpar 4.46 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP and 46:12 K:BB across 34 1/3 innings. Leiter has managed to rack up 11 holds despite his mediocre numbers. There's no word on how much time he'll miss.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (back) is expected to be ready in time for Opening Day. The right-hander threw a bullpen session on Sunday. Leiter reportedly felt good as he continues to recover from a back issue that has slowed him down over the last week or so. The 34-year-old posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 86/22 K/BB ratio across 60 games with the Chicago Cubs and Yankees last season. The expectation is that Leiter will be used in a high-leverage role. However, Leiter will lack fantasy value in most leagues because he won't see regular save chances.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (paternity) was activated off the paternity list earlier Sunday morning. The right-hander was away from the team for a few days but should be expected to return to his high-leverage role on Sunday and during the playoffs. Since being traded to the Yankees at the trade deadline, Leiter Jr. has logged a 5.23 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, with a 7:30 BB:K ratio across 20 2/3 frames. Earlier this season with the Cubs, Leiter posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP through 36 1/3 innings of work. Leiter has generated whiffs and strikeouts at a strong 37.3% and 33.2% respectively and could occasionally mix in for save opportunities during October.

The New York Yankees placed right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. on the paternity list on Thursday and recalled right-hander Scott Effross from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move before their contest at Yankee Stadium against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. Leiter will most likely be away from the Yankees for the next three games, meaning he'll likely be back for the regular-series finale on Sunday at home in the Bronx against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. The 33-year-old veteran began the year with the Chicago Cubs before joining the Yankees at the trade deadline in late July. In 20 relief appearances out of the Yankees' bullpen since the trade, Leiter has gone 2-1 with a 5.23 ERA (5.34 FIP), a 1.64 WHIP, 30 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 2/3 innings, so he hasn't really been on the fantasy radar in pinstripes.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. is being traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfield prospect Benjamin Cowles (No. 29 on MLB Pipeline) and right-handed pitching prospect Jack Neely (No. 22). Leiter currently sits with a 4.21 ERA and 1.10 WHIP but boats stellar metrics that suggest he has gotten very unlucky through the first half of the summer. The 33-year-old carries a 34.9% strikeout rate and a 36.7% whiff rate, which places him in the top 98th percentile among all pitchers. In addition, he holds a 2.61 xERA and .197 xBA, which are among the best marks in the entire sport. While Clay Holmes is likely to continue to serve as the ninth-inning option in the Bronx, Leiter should immediately slot into a high-leverage role and should provide a high amount of holds during the final months of the season.