Justin Wilson exits early with shoulder tightness, becomes latest Yankees lefty to suffer spring injury

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Tuesday, March 23, 2021

TAMPA, Fla. --Justin Wilson became the New York Yankees' second left-handed reliever to get hurt during spring training, leaving Monday night's exhibition against Philadelphia due to tightness in his pitching shoulder.

New York said Wilson will have an MRI on Tuesday.

"The way he kind of described is just having a hard time getting loose out there," manager Aaron Boone said. "I think there's a chance that it might not be that big a deal."

Boone said there had been no prior sign of anything alarming.

Wilson replaced Darren O'Day at the start of the seventh inning with the Phillies leading 2-0, his fifth spring training appearance.

He allowed a single on a 2-0 pitch to Rhys Hoskins and a home run to right field on a 1-0 pitch to former Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius. Alec Bohm fouled off a pitch before Wilson threw four balls in a row. Wilson worked the count full with his seventh pitch to Odubel Herrera, then waved his arm toward the dugout to summon director of medical services Steve Donohue and Boone.

Nestor Cortes Jr. relieved.

The 33-year-old Wilson signed a $5.15 million, two-year contract this offseason to start his second stint with the Yankees. He spent the past two seasons with the New York Mets.

New York lefty Zack Britton had surgery March 15 to remove a bone chip from his pitching elbow and is likely out until at least May and perhaps the summer.

"I've talked a lot about how impressed I've been with our depth, and I feel like there's a number of guys that we could turn to if we ever got in a situation," Boone said. "But first things first, I think we'll get it looked at tomorrow and hope that it's not something that sets him back too much. But I think there's a number of guys that I would feel comfortable turning to that I think could get meaningful outs for us right now."