Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees. MLB news (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
MLB news: Aroldis Chapman suffers a strange injury, Chaim Bloom received death threats from Red Sox fans, and a Braves trade target is suddenly available.
Aroldis Chapman, now with the Kansas City Royals, cannot seem to catch a break.
The Royals took a flyer on Chapman after he had a tough end of the 2022 season with the New York Yankees. Chapman was left off New York’s ALDS roster because he skipped a workout session. He would go on to leave the team in general, rather than contributing to a postseason run.
Chapman isn’t the same pitcher he used to be. While the left-handed former closer can still reach the mid-to-upper 90’s with his fastball, it’s slowed with time. His breaking stuff no longer offers the same contrast due to the decline in speed of his fastball. Safe to say, his 4.46 ERA reflected that.
The Royals signed Chapman this offseason, but before he could even get much of a chance to impress in spring training, he cut his lip and chipped his tooth during an at-home accident, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
Chapman is evidently okay, and will try to make his return shortly. It’s the latest accident for Chapman away from the mound, but not his first. The former Yankee suffered a leg infection from a tattoo he received last August.