Britton announced his retirement from professional baseball Monday, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports.
Arm injuries limited Britton in the last few seasons of his career, but he had a seven-year stretch as one of the best relievers in baseball, posting a 1.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 347:133 K:BB over 367.1 innings from 2014 through 2020. The southpaw saved 153 games over that stretch, made two All-Star teams and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2016.
Britton will throw a simulated game Thursday in an attempt to draw interest from several teams, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Eight teams will reportedly be in attendance for Britton's showcase, though the identity of those clubs hasn't been revealed. The 35-year-old lefty battled frequent injuries during the past two seasons, logging just 19 innings and generating a bloated 6.16 ERA and 2.00 WHIP across 25 appearances over that span.
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Zack Britton: Mets could be landing spot
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Britton's simulated game Thursday in California will be attended by the Mets, John Harper of SNY.tv reports.
The free-agent reliever is a favorite of manager Buck Showalter's from their time together with the Orioles and could represent a bullpen reinforcement in the wake of Edwin Diaz's knee injury. Britton has battled many injuries himself in recent seasons, and it's questionable whether how much he has left in the tank, but he might be worth a roll of the dice for the Mets or another team on a minor-league deal.
Britton (shoulder) threw a bullpen session as part of a showcase event Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Giants, Angels, Mets, Dodgers, Cubs and Rangers were the six clubs that had representatives on hand to monitor Britton. The left-hander is one of the best remaining free-agent relievers on the market, but injuries have limited him to just 25 appearances over the last two seasons, and his 2022 campaign ended in October because of fatigue in his left shoulder. A former closer, Britton is likely looking at a setup role with whatever club he lands with, but a return to his form before his injury-riddled seasons would be a major boon for that bullpen.
Britton was placed on the 60-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue Saturday.
Britton was removed from Friday's relief appearance due to his shoulder issue, and the injury will force him to miss the remainder of the regular season and the entire postseason. The southpaw made just three major-league appearances in 2022 and allowed a run on a hit and six walks while striking out one in two-thirds of an inning. Jacob Barnes' contract was selected to take Britton's place in the bullpen.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Exits with arm fatigue
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Britton left Friday's game against the Orioles with left arm fatigue, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.
He came in to relieve Domingo German in the middle of the sixth inning and walked a batter and then left with the injury before recording an out. It's unclear how long Britton will be unavailable.
Britton picked up a hold against Boston on Saturday despite allowing one run on one hit and three walks over one-third of an inning. He recorded a strikeout for his only out.
Britton made his season debut after he underwent surgery to repair his UCL last September. The veteran reliever was clearly rusty, throwing only seven of 19 pitches for strikes and issuing three free passes. He'll look to shake the rust over the remainder of the regular season with the goal of being in strong form for the playoffs.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Activated by Yankees
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Britton (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Thursday, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Britton said Wednesday that he felt ready to return after completing his rehab assignment, and he'll be available out of the bullpen for Thursday's series opener against the Red Sox. He posted a 1.35 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 6.2 innings over eight appearances during his rehab assignment, and it's possible the southpaw is eased into action with some low-leverage opportunities in the near future.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Feels ready to return
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Britton (elbow) rejoined the Yankees on Wednesday and could be activated from the 60-day injured list within the next few days, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Britton, who has been on the shelf all season while recovering from the UCL surgery he underwent last September, confirmed that he has completed his minor-league rehab assignment, which he began Aug. 24. Between stops at Single-A Tampa, Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Britton cobbled together a 1.35 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 7:2 K:BB across 6.2 innings. Given his lengthy layoff from big-league action, Britton could be eased back into the New York bullpen in a low-leverage role, despite his strong showing on the rehab assignment and his excellent track record in the majors for his career.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Moves rehab to Triple-A
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Britton (elbow) is scheduled to move his rehab assignment Wednesday from Single-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Justin Shackil of WFAN Sports Radio 66 New York reports.
Britton will get a stiffer test for his rehab assignment after he gave up one earned run on two hits and no walks while striking out three across his three rehab appearances at Tampa. According to manager Aaron Boone, Britton is scheduled to pitch an inning Wednesday and is expected to make several appearances for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before returning from the 60-day injured list. The veteran lefty looks on track to join the Yankees' bullpen at some point in the middle of September.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Resumes rehab assignment
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Britton (elbow) struck out two batters in a scoreless inning for Single-A Tampa on Saturday.
Britton left his previous minor-league appearance with an apparent injury after just 10 pitches, but the cause turned out to be a minor glute issue. He returned to the mound Saturday and tossed an impressive frame during the resumption of a contest that had been suspended Thursday. Britton will likely need more rehab outings before he's ready to rejoin the Yankees, but there is optimism that he'll be able to return in time to help the big club down the stretch.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Glute injury confirmed
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Britton (elbow) suffered a glute injury in a rehab appearance with Single-A Tampa on Saturday, per MLB.com.
This qualifies as good news, as the injury doesn't appear to be serious and isn't related to the UCL surgery Britton underwent last September. The veteran reliever reportedly told Yankees manager Aaron Boone that his arm feels great and that the glute issue isn't a concern. Britton is expected to throw a bullpen session in a few days and could resume his rehab stint shortly thereafter.
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Yankees' Zack Britton: Exits rehab outing early
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Britton (elbow) threw only 10 pitches in a rehab appearance with Single-A Tampa on Saturday before exiting with a possible injury, MLB.com reports.
This was Britton's second rehab outing following UCL surgery last September, and he reportedly stopped mid-motion during his 11th pitch and walked off the mound with a trainer, per Erik Boland of Newsday. However, the veteran reliever later dispelled the notion that he injured his arm via his own Twitter account, stating, "I just know how things can get blown out of proportion. I'm good. Arm feels great." Yankees manager Aaron Boone suggested after Saturday's major-league contest that Britton's issue could be glute-related, which would obviously be a sigh of relief. The hope has been that Britton could join the Yankees' bullpen in September, but it remains to be seen if Saturday's early exit will impact his return timeline.
