Yankees’ Devin Williams out of closer role ahead of DH with Jays

The New York Yankees removed Devin Williams from the team’s closer role prior to the start of Sunday’s doubleheader against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays

“For right now, I’m going to take him out of that role,” manager Aaron Boone said of Williams, who has an 11.25 ERA in 10 games and has surrendered 10 earned runs in his first season in New York.

Luke Weaver, who became the Yankees closer in the final month of last season, will receive the majority of the reps in the ninth inning in place of Williams.

The doubleheader between the American League East rivals was set after the teams’ scheduled game was rained out on Saturday.

Left-hander Max Fried (4-0, 1.42 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener for the Yankees and oppose right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.16).

New York’s Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 7.45) is set to face Chris Bassitt (2-1, 1.88) in the second game in a matchup of right-handers.

After going 9-for-90 at the plate and getting swept in a three-game series at Houston, the Blue Jays stopped a five-game losing streak Friday by scoring three runs in the ninth off Williams in a 4-2 victory.

Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run double off Williams, who fell behind each of the three hitters he faced without getting an out.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also homered for the Blue Jays, who have 14 homers this season. By contrast, the Yankees have 41.

“It feels great. I needed it,” Kirk said through an interpreter, “and the team needed it. I’m very happy, just very happy about it.”

Kirk’s hit gave Williams his first blown save, though the right-hander has been shaky this season and was pulled from a non-save chance on April 9 in Detroit.

Williams was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in December for Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin. The latter has been promoted to the Brewers to play third base and has appeared in nine games.

Earlier, Boone seemed to hint that Williams would get a breather from the closer role after the Yankees lost for the fourth time in six games.

“We’ll kind of talk through that stuff,” Boone said. “This is raw right now. We want to do everything we can to get (Williams) right because we know how good he is and how valuable he’s going to be for us.”

Since allowing six runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the Brewers on March 29, Fried is 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his past four outings.

Fried turned in his second scoreless outing this season when he allowed two hits in a season-high 7 2/3 innings Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Fried got a season-high 13 ground-ball outs and threw 102 pitches while losing a no-hit bid on a scoring change in the eighth inning of a 4-0 win.

Fried is 2-0 with an 0.95 ERA in three career starts against Toronto.

Gausman will start on Sunday after allowing a season-worst four runs on six hits in six innings during a 7-0 loss at Houston on Monday. He is 10-9 with a 3.63 ERA in 35 career appearances (29 starts) against the Yankees.

Schmidt will make his third start since returning from a shoulder injury and allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings of a 6-4 loss at Cleveland on Monday. He is 0-3 with a 3.06 ERA in six career appearances (three starts) against Toronto.

Bassitt allowed two runs in his first four starts before giving up a season-high four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday in a 5-1 loss at Houston. He is 3-0 with an 0.82 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees and has held them to a .202 batting average.

–Field Level Media