Leiter has been added to the Yankees' ALCS roster, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Leiter is the injury replacement for Ian Hamilton (calf). The 33-year-old Leiter held a 4.98 ERA over 21.2 innings after being acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline, while he struck out 33 and tallied 86 strikeouts across 58 frames in 2024 between his time with the Cubs and Yankees.
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Yankees' Mark Leiter: Reinstated from paternity list
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The Yankees reinstated Leiter from the paternity list Sunday.
Leiter will be available out of the bullpen for the Yankees' regular-season finale against the Pirates. The 33-year-old reliever has a 4.58 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 83:20 K:BB over 57 innings this season.
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Yankees' Mark Leiter: Goes on paternity list
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The Yankees placed Leiter on the paternity list Thursday.
By rule, Leiter will miss the next 1-to-3 games while welcoming a new addition to the family. Scott Effross has been summoned from the minors to absorb Leiter's roster spot.
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Yankees' Mark Leiter: Opening for saves
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Leiter could be in the mix for save chances after Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that the team will get "creative" with the closer role going forward, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
The skipper didn't officially demote closer Clay Holmes or name specific relievers for the "creative" approach, but Leiter should be one of the top candidates to see save chances. However, the right-hander hasn't pitched particularly well since being acquired from the Cubs at the summer trade deadline, as he has a 6.08 ERA, 1.95 WHIP and 19:6 K:BB across 13.1 innings with the Yankees. That could give a leg up to Luke Weaver and/or Tommy Kahnle, who both have been reliable high-leverage options for Boone this year.
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Yankees' Mark Leiter: Shines in extra-inning victory
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Leiter (3-4) hit a batter but allowed no hits and notched three strikeouts over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win in relief Sunday versus the Blue Jays.
Leiter entered the contest in the top of the ninth inning with the go-ahead run on first base and struck out Joey Loperfido to end the frame. The contest eventually went into an extra inning, and Leiter returned for the 10th, notching two more strikeouts and working around a two-out hit batsman. The right-hander subsequently was credited for the win after DJ LeMahieu stroked a walk-off single in the bottom of the frame. Since joining the Yankees on July 30, Leiter has allowed one run in four innings while posting a 5:1 K:BB and picking up a hold along with Sunday's victory.
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Yankees' Mark Leiter: Shipped to Bronx
Rotowire
The Yankees acquired Leiter from the Cubs on Tuesday in exchange for infielder Benjamin Cowles (undisclosed) and right-hander Jack Neely, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Leiter recorded 13 holds with a 4.21 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 53:13 K:BB over 36.1 innings for the Cubs, and he's been lights out of late with seven straight scoreless appearances. The right-hander is unlikely to see save chances in New York but should work as part of the bridge to closer Clay Holmes.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Set to be activated on road trip
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Leiter (forearm) threw live batting practice Saturday, and manager Craig Counsell said that the right-hander will be activated from the 15-day injured list during the Cubs' upcoming road series against the Orioles, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Leiter landed on the injured list June 23 due to a right forearm strain. The 33-year-old won't require a rehab assignment, and he could available out of the Cubs' bullpen as soon as Tuesday in Baltimore. Leiter has a 5.34 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 28.2 innings this season.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Throws off mound
Rotowire
Leiter (forearm) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Jared Wyllys of CHGO Sports reports.
Leiter is tracking toward a live batting practice session later this week and a return to the Cubs' bullpen next week. The reliever is eligible for activation July 9, and it sounds like he could be back by then without a rehab assignment.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Placed on 15-day IL
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Leiter was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain Sunday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Leiter last appeared in a game Wednesday versus the Giants, surrendering three runs on a hit and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. He'll now likely be sidelined longer than the minimum stay on the injured list considering it's an injury to his throwing arm. In the meantime, Luke Little was called up from Triple-A Iowa to replace Leiter in the major-league bullpen Sunday.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Struggles in loss
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Leiter (2-4) allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while retiring just two batters to take the loss Thursday against the Rays. He struck out one.
Chicago starter Justin Steele tossed six scoreless innings, but his effort was quickly wasted by Leiter, who couldn't get out of the seventh. The righty reliever has allowed runs in each of his last two appearances, which has pushed his ERA up from 3.20 to 4.44. Leiter had a sub-4.00 ERA each of the last two seasons for the Cubs, so while he's struggled some lately, his track record suggests that better days will be ahead.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Records first win
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Leiter (1-1) retired the only two batters he faced out of the bullpen to earn the win in Monday's 3-1 victory over the Mets.
Starter Jameson Taillon was excellent over 7.1 innings, but the Cubs turned to Leiter to get the last two outs of the eighth. The veteran righty delivered, then scooped up his first win of the year when Christopher Morel hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth. Leiter has been excellent all year, posting a 0.69 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 13 innings. He should continue to work in a setup role ahead of new closer Hector Neris, though he could be next up for saves if Neris falters.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Effective on Opening Day
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Leiter tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief in Thursday's 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Rangers. He struck out three.
With Justin Steele (hamstring) getting pulled after only 4.2 innings, the Cubs needed some length from their bullpen, and Leiter stepped up. The righty was solid in 2023, and while he should help the team this year, he has limited fantasy upside working in front of Hector Neris and closer Adbert Alzolay.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Blows save in critical loss
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Leiter allowed a run on two hits while retiring only one batter to record a blown save in Wednesday's extra-inning loss to Atlanta.
Leiter got a crack at the ninth inning with the Cubs up 4-3, but he allowed a Marcell Ozuna home run to record his fourth blown save of the season. With regular closer Adbert Alzolay (forearm) on the injured list, Leiter has failed to step up, as he now has an ugly 9.45 ERA this month. The Cubs will likely need to turn to Julian Merryweather in save opportunities for the time being considering the magnitude of their next four games.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Records fourth save
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Leiter allowed a run on two hits but managed to secure the save in Monday's 7-6 win over the Tigers. He struck out one.
Regular closer Adbert Alzolay pitched each of the last two days, so the Cubs bypassed him for the save opportunity and turned to Leiter. It was the latter's fourth save of the season, though it was his first since June 2, as Alzolay has established himself in the role. Leiter should still serve as a reliable setup option moving forward.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Earns another hold Saturday
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Leiter tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Orioles. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two.
Leiter covered the seventh and eighth innings, and his efforts earned him his 12th hold of the season. Adbert Alzolay closed things out in the ninth, and it looks like the latter has established himself as the team's preferred closing option. Since Leiter's last save on June 2, he has three holds, while Alzolay has picked up two saves in that span. Leiter still has some fantasy value in deeper leagues, though it looks like Alzolay is the preferred choice for fantasy managers at this point.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Earns hold Friday
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Leiter pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in Friday's 3-2 win over the Giants. He allowed one hit and struck out two.
The strong effort earned Leiter his 10th hold of the season, and Adbert Alzolay closed things out in the ninth. The two pitchers seem to be in a closer committee, with Leiter recording the team's second-most-recent save on June 2. This gives Leiter some fantasy value, though his ceiling would seem to be capped by the presence of Alzolay.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Takes loss Wednesday
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Leiter (1-1) allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk while retiring just one batter to take the loss Wednesday against the Rays.
Long balls did in Leiter, as he allowed two-run home runs to both Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri. The righty still has a solid 2.78 ERA and should remain in the mix to close games with Brad Boxberger (forearm) out, though Adbert Alzolay recorded the save in Tuesday's win and could be moving up the bullpen pecking order, particularly following this rough outing by Leiter. The latter's increased fantasy value due to Boxberger's injury may be waning.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Secures second save
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Leiter earned a save against the Mets on Wednesday with a perfect inning during which he struck out one batter.
Leiter had been struggling a bit coming into this week, allowing three runs (two earned) over his previous three appearances. He got five days off before striking out two and notching a hold over 1.1 perfect innings Tuesday, then got the call in the ninth Wednesday with the Cubs leading by two. Leiter made quick work of New York, retiring the side on 10 pitches to pick up the save. The Cubs' closer situation remains hazy, but Leiter may be the best bet for ninth-inning opportunities given his strong numbers this season (1.77 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 31:6 K:BB over 20.1 innings). He's notched two of the team's five saves on the campaign.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Notches first save
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Leiter gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his first save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Marlins.
Brad Boxberger had worked the day before and taken his first loss of the season, but he also threw only one pitch -- which turned into a walkoff homer by the Nationals' Alex Call. Michael Fulmer handled the eighth inning Friday, so for now it looks like Leiter has jumped up to second in the pecking order for save opportunities. The 32-year-old has earned the spot with a 1.29 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB through 14 innings, as increased usage of his nasty splitter has paid big dividends so far in 2023.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Earns first hold
Rotowire
Leiter tossed a perfect inning of relief with a strikeout to earn a hold in Friday's win over the Rangers.
Starter Marcus Stroman pitched six scoreless innings, followed by Leiter in the seventh, and then two more scoreless frames from Michael Fulmer to preserve a 2-0 win. The Cubs hadn't played since Tuesday, so they should have had a fresh bullpen but still decided to use Leiter in a key spot for his first hold of the season. That could be a good sign for the righty's future outlook, though Fulmer and Brad Boxberger still figure to be ahead of him in the bullpen pecking order.
