The Yankees are gradually easing bullpen arm Mark Leiter Jr. into action this spring after he experienced some discomfort in his back last week. Originally set to pitch on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers, Leiter was held out as a precaution, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
Instead, Leiter will throw a live bullpen session on Sunday as he works to resolve the minor issue. At 34 years old, the Yankees are being cautious with him, especially since he is expected to play an important role in the bullpen this season.
Leiter’s 2024 season was a mixed bag, spending time with both the Cubs and Yankees after a midseason trade. He finished the year with a 4.50 ERA across both teams, but his performance with the Yankees showed room for improvement.
In 21.2 innings with the Yankees, Leiter posted a 4.98 ERA, struggling with consistency at times. However, his impressive 13.71 strikeouts per nine innings demonstrated his ability to generate swings and misses. The issue, though, was a significant drop in his ground ball rate, which led to more hard contact and home runs.
Despite some regular-season struggles, Leiter delivered in the postseason, allowing just one run over 5.1 innings and posting a strong 1.69 ERA. His swing-and-miss stuff was effective in high-leverage moments, making him a key asset in the Yankees’ bullpen.
If Leiter can maintain that level of performance in 2025, he could become another reliable late-inning option to help set up closer Devin Williams. For now, the Yankees are carefully monitoring his back issue. While a minor tweak in March isn’t cause for concern, they don’t want to rush him, given the number of injuries already affecting the roster.
Sunday’s bullpen session will be an important indicator of his readiness for game action. If everything goes well, he could be back on the mound in a spring training game in the coming days.
