CINCINNATI — Some pitchers turn to their alter egos when they step onto the mound.
Ryan Weber, a journeyman armed with an 88-mph sinker, a 4.99 career ERA and the humility from being designated for assignment 10 times, isn’t trying to be something he is not..
“I don’t throw hard, so I kind of have the same persona as how I pitch,” said Weber, who did not pitch in the Yankees’ 6-2 win on Friday night.
That calm demeanor was put to good use on Thursday night, when the Yankees called on Weber for a different situation than usual: a high-leverage spot.
On a night when Michael King, Clay Holmes, Wandy Peralta and Jimmy Cordero were all unavailable, manager Aaron Boone asked Weber to pitch the seventh inning of a game the Yankees were leading the Blue Jays 3-1.
After inheriting a runner from Nestor Cortes and then giving up a single and a walk to the first two batters he faced to load the bases, Weber was in an unenviable spot.
And yet he deftly got Brandon Belt to fly out to left field, with the runner on third not testing the arm of Aaron Hicks.
Then the roof nearly came off Rogers Centre when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked out of the dugout to pinch-hit, but Weber got an 88-mph sinker inside enough on him that he only could muster a sacrifice fly.
Weber then got George Springer to fly out to escape the threat with the Yankees still leading.
“Weby’s incredible,” said Ron Marinaccio, who closed out the win after Albert Abreu worked a perfect eighth. “He seems like his heartbeat never wavers at all, no matter what situation it is. I’ve gotten to know him for the last year and a half or so now. He’s awesome to be around. What he’s able to do with the baseball, the way he manipulates it. He’s not the hardest thrower, but every pitch he throws is a good pitch. He’s got confidence in his stuff, just like everybody else down there. It’s fun to watch him go out there and succeed in those moments.”
Over the course of a given season, teams will often use upward of 30 pitchers. The likes of Weber often get overlooked, but his value to the Yankees was reinforced this week — first throwing 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in Tuesday’s win after Domingo German was ejected in the fourth inning and then performing the high-wire act on Thursday.
“Huge,” Boone said Friday before facing the Reds at Great American Ball Park. “[Thursday] night was enormous. … We talk about it all the time, but it takes everyone to be a winning team. You’re not going to be able to lean on everyone every night. Some guys really stepped up for us in an important, tight game and Weby was one of those guys right in the middle of it.”
Weber began the season as a starter for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but has swiftly made the transition back to reliever — a role he has often served in the big leagues — after having his contract selected on May 11.
The Yankees are Weber’s sixth different organization since being a 22nd-round draft pick of the Braves in 2009. He has also suited up for the Mariners (two stints), Rays, Red Sox (two stints), and Brewers.
The 32-year-old has been designated for assignment four times by the Yankees alone, and while a fifth is likely coming before long, he keeps on grinding and finding his way back to the big leagues.
“He’s got great stuff,” Aaron Judge said. “He’s got so much movement on all his [pitches] — the sinker and good slider combo that he has. … I’ve had plenty of at-bats against Weber. It’s a tough at-bat. You may look up at the velo and see only 88-89, but the stuff’s moving, the slider’s great and he went out there and executed his pitches.”