Longtime Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman won’t be on the American League Division Series roster because he missed a mandatory practice over the weekend, but now people close to him say the 34-year-old is apologetic for his actions.
Chapman’s personal assistant Santiago Mateo took to Instagram on Monday morning to deliver a message to Yankees fans, that the “Cuban Missile” acknowledges he made a mistake.
“I wanted to take this moment to apologize on behalf of myself and Chapman,” Mateo told his followers. “We all make mistakes. We got to learn from our mistakes. Instead of being reactive, we got to be proactive and find solutions to make it better.
“I apologize and I know Chap apologizes to the fans, to the organization and to everyone that he hurt. All I ask is for privacy and some space for him to heal. He should be back soon, everything is getting back on track.”
This Chapman saga comes at a bad time for the Yankees who are preparing to take on the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS this week. And with the bullpen already compromised by injuries, having a veteran left-hander like Chapman would have been beneficial.
Chapman was fined for his absence and asked to stay away from the team until both sides can figure out what to do.
"Chappy will not be on the postseason roster," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. "He was scheduled to be here Friday as part of our workout with the live, was not, and not what I thought was an acceptable excuse. So I've had him stay away for now."
The team didn’t rule out the lefty from rejoining the team if the Yankees move on to the Championship Series, but if the Bombers don’t advance this may be the last season Chapman pitches in the Bronx.
The 34-year-old is about to become an unrestricted free agent when the 2022 season ends, and in 43 appearances this year, Chapman has a 4-4 record with just nine saves and a 4.46 ERA. He began the season as the Yankees closer, but his struggles and the emergence of Clay Holmes forced the team to use Chapman in middle relief.
The Yankees begin a best-of-five series against the Guardians on Tuesday.