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Yankees to replace injured Ian Hamilton with Mark Leiter Jr.
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Yankees to replace injured Ian Hamilton with Mark Leiter Jr.

CLEVELAND – The New York Yankees didn’t just lose a wild Game 3 to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. They also lost one of their relievers for the remainder of the postseason.

Ian Hamilton, who left Thursday’s game with a left calf injury, was removed from the squad before Game 4 on Friday. Mark Leiter Jr., another right-handed reliever, took Hamilton’s place.

Major League Baseball approved the replacement after an independent physician reviewed Hamilton’s medical information; Teams may only make roster changes during a postseason series if a player is injured. By rule, Hamilton is ineligible to play in the World Series if the Yankees advance.

Hamilton, 29, suffered a calf injury while covering first base for an out in the sixth inning. He left the game after facing only two batters. The veteran appeared in two postseason games for the Yankees after posting a 3.82 ERA in 35 games during the regular season. He was on the injured list for almost three months with a strained right lat.

The Yankees acquired Leiter from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline because of his elite ability to generate swing-and-misses. But Leiter struggled in New York, posting a 4.98 ERA in 21 appearances. He has yet to pitch in the postseason in his five-year Major League career.