Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers battled a stomach issue during his team's 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, a start that saw him removed after four-plus innings. Weathers reported throwing up multiple times during the game as he attempted to play through the illness, which a team spokesperson indicated may have been related to a teamwide stomach bug or food poisoning.
Despite the physical discomfort, manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Weathers' effort, stating "Credit to him, under the weather today, and still went out there and battled." Boone also noted the effectiveness of Weathers' changeup, which generated significant swing-and-miss. However, the Minnesota lineup made it challenging throughout the outing.
Weathers was charged with four earned runs and allowed runners to reach scoring position in all but one of the innings he pitched. The difficulties began early when Austin Martin doubled to lead off the first inning, eventually leading to the Twins taking a 1-0 lead. Weathers was ultimately pulled in the fifth inning after hitting Luke Keaschall with a pitch and walking Martin. He threw 88 pitches, including a wild pitch that allowed a run to score.
"I wanna do well for the team and try to win the ballgame," Weathers said after the game. "And it just didn’t happen today."
This outing continued a recent trend of struggles for the 26-year-old left-hander. His earned run average, which had dropped to 3.00 on May 11 after a 6 1/3-inning start against the Orioles, has now risen to 4.29. Weathers is on pace to surpass his career high of 94 2/3 innings pitched from his rookie season, a workload that may be contributing to his recent performance slide.
Following Sunday's defeat, where boos were later heard for relievers Paul Blackburn and Camilo Doval, Weathers is slated to pitch next against the Rays or Nationals. Neither matchup is considered particularly favorable for a pitcher aiming to regain his earlier form.