Yankees reliever Luke Weaver's recent struggles a concern for team with playoffs near

MINNEAPOLIS – It would be a stretch to say Luke Weaver’s performance this October will by itself determine whether the Yankees advance as far as they think they should.

It would not be a stretch, however, to say if the righthander’s recent struggles continue into next month, the Yankees aren’t likely to go very far.

Weaver has been the Yankees’ best reliever overall each of the last two seasons, but he has hit the skids of late, posting a 12.00 ERA in his last 11 games, which has sent his ERA from 2.52 on Aug. 17 to 3.97. The 32-year-old has allowed at least one earned run in six of those 11 games and in four of his last six appearances, including a train wreck of an outing in Monday night’s 7-0 loss to the Twins.

With the Yankees still well within striking distance, down 2-0 to one of the worst pitching staffs in the big leagues, Weaver recorded just one out after coming on in the seventh inning. He allowed five runs that turned the game into a runaway.

“That,” Weaver said, “was trash.”

It was a dramatic step back for Weaver, whose previous outing, Saturday at Fenway Park, was among his best of the season.

After Max Fried allowed a one-out RBI single to Connor Wong in the sixth to cut the Red Sox deficit to 4-2, Weaver came on to face Ceddanne Rafaela with two runners on. Weaver fell behind 3-and-1, but struck out Rafaela swinging at a changeup in the dirt, then struck out Romy Gonzalez swinging at a 96-mph fastball.

Monday night Weaver got ahead of the lefthanded-hitting Trevor Larnach, brought in to pinch hit, 1-and-2 before the DH turned on a 96-mph fastball that was inside and up and yanked it down the rightfield line for a double.

One talent evaluator in attendance said, “it was a pretty well-located pitch, what you want to do with two strikes,” and Larnach doing damage with it seemed to unnerve Weaver.

The switch-hitting Brooks Lee, who homered off Carlos Rodon earlier in the game, came next and hammered a 1-and-0 changeup, which was not located well as it came in belt-high and right down the middle, to right for an RBI double that made it 3-0.

After a sacrifice bunt by Jhonny Pereda, Weaver walked the No. 9 hitter, Edouard Julien, on four pitches and walked leadoff man Byron Buxton on six pitches to load the bases. Austin Martin then smoked a full-count, 96-mph fastball that arrived down in the zone but middle down the leftfield line for a bases-clearing double that made it 6-0.

“Stuff really wasn’t bad,” the scout said. “Maybe not as sharp as when he’s really going good but it was OK.”

Manager Aaron Boone indicated he believes Weaver’s rough patch has been overstated to a degree.

“I feel it’s a couple of outings where it hasn’t gone well, but he came in with a huge outing in Boston there in that second game to get two big outs with runners in scoring position,” Boone said. “I feel like the stuff’s good, tonight [Monday] just a couple of free passes and a couple balls that found holes to start. Ton of confidence in Weave the way he’s throwing and that he’s going to get big outs.”

After Monday’s game, Weaver explained it as a mechanical issue.

“The body just wasn’t on time,” Weaver said. “It just wasn’t aligned with what I was trying to execute and do. I felt like I was fighting myself the whole time. Mentally, I was just trying to overcome it, have a good mindset and stay within myself, and those two things just weren’t coming together.”

Weaver, who missed 17 games from June 3-20 with a left hamstring injury, had a 1.05 ERA when he went to the IL. Though he has a 6.21 ERA in 34 games since returning, Weaver said physically he is good.

“I’m not in any pain or anything along those lines,” Weaver said. “It’s just an energy, a lack of togetherness with the body. Those days happen, but it’s just inexcusable. We’ve got to find a way to get it done and overcome that.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.