Yankees making pitching change for Rangers series finale

The New York Yankees made a late pitching adjustment ahead of the club’s series finale vs. the Texas Rangers, with pitcher Ryan Weathers unavailable because of illness and Paul Blackburn stepping into the starting role at Yankee Stadium.

The team heads into Thursday’s MLB action at 25–12, holding a narrow lead atop the American League East, sitting just 0.5 games ahead of the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays, who have won nine of their last 10 games. However, the change shows how quickly rotation plans can shift over the course of a long season, even for one of baseball’s most consistent teams.

Weathers had been a steady contributor for the Yankees, carrying a 3.03 ERA before the illness forced the team to alter its plans. Instead, Blackburn will take the ball in the finale, bringing veteran experience and a 3.21 ERA in limited action this season.

MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported the late change on X, formerly Twitter, while sharing Weathers’ explanation for the sudden illness.

“I pitched, then went home and pretty much threw my guts out for several hours,” Weathers said. “I thought I just had food poisoning, but woke up the next day and was running a 102 [degree] temp. I was just pretty much bedridden for a couple of days.”