Michael Tonkin had an up and down start to the season.
The veteran right-hander signed with the Mets with a split contract and took the team out of spring training, but he was quickly assigned to the assignment after he struggled in the first few games.
The Minnesota Twins signed Tonkin for money reasons, but he was released after his struggles continued into just his first appearance, and he earned a spot in the Mets’ bullpen.
He made just two appearances in the Big Apple, allowing two runs in three innings of work before being DFA’d in favor of a fresh arm for the third time in the opening month of the season.
Just three days later, Tonkin was claimed by the government Yankeesand he quickly assumed a regular role in one of the best bullpens in the game this season.
“When you’re on a team that’s really good and the starters go deep every game, it makes your job easier and more fun,” he said recently. Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I feel like I’m throwing the ball well, getting into a rhythm and being able to feel more comfortable.”
Tonkin certainly looks comfortable out there, as he has been dominant since suffering an extra-inning loss in his first start in pinstripes, allowing just two earned runs in 13 starts.
And he’s been particularly effective lately, stringing together back-to-back easy starts in each of the first two games against the mighty Dodgers to extend his streak to nine consecutive scoreless innings, reducing his ERA to 0.93 since joining the Yankees.
“He wants the ball”, coach Aaron Boone he said. “He has a little bit of an advantage on the mound, which I like, he seems to compete really well out there. He’s been able to spin the ball whenever he wants, is using the sinker and the four seam, and he’s not afraid.
“I think he did a really good job for us, it’s two ups in a row, I didn’t really love it, but he handled it well tonight when we were still messing around a little bit. work for us to carve out a role for himself.”
With the help of the Yankees coaching staff, the 34-year-old appears to have figured things out after such a rollercoaster start to the season and is finally pitching like he always has.
Tonkin is also in a much better position now with the Bronx Bombers, as they sit ahead of the Orioles in the AL East with a 45-22 record and have all the makings of a legitimate World Series contender.
“This is incredible,” he said. “My goal is to be a major league pitcher. Last year I threw 80 innings for a team that won 104 games, so I felt like I could contribute to a team and be a major league pitcher.
“This is the dream to be on a team like this. Winning is definitely fun, being here is definitely special.”
