NEW YORK -- The back end of the bullpen has been the best attribute of the first month for the New York Yankees.
On Monday, the belief is it will get better because Aroldis Chapman will be on the active roster for the first time this season following his 30-game suspension for a domestic violence investigation. The four-time All-Star says he has moved beyond the incident and is more than ready to electrify fans and the Yankees with his fastball, which often gets clocked at 100 mph or higher.
"Honestly I try to give my best every single time that I go out there and that's what I like to do. I like to give my best and put on a good show for the fans," Chapman said through an interpreter during a 13-minute press conference before Sunday's 5-1 loss to the the Boston Red Sox. "So anytime I go out there, I try to do the best I can."
Chapman's first regular-season media session as a Yankee took place before the team's 29th game because he was alleged to have fired eight shots from a gun into his Florida garage wall following an argument with his girlfriend, who also said the left-hander put his hands around her neck.
Even though law enforcement declined to charge and prosecute because of an uncooperative witness, there were various costs for Chapman. Besides missing time with his new team, the other parts of his discipline was meetings with psychiatrists, required counseling and forfeiting approximately $1.8 million of his $11.3 million salary for this season.
It was something the Yankees knew when they acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds in late December at a discounted price. Chapman was originally going to be dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers but the deal fell apart because of the allegations, which the 28-year-old was vague about when asked what he learned from it.
"I learned a lot from it.," Chapman said. "Like any human being, we learn every day. It's just part of life to keep on learning. Good thing is that it's something that is behind me now. I want to focus on baseball, being here with my teammates, having the opportunity to hopefully contribute to win."
And the Yankees are excited about Chapman's return. Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances have combined to allow four earned runs in 27 appearances, spanning 25 2/3 innings while getting 47 strikeouts.
However, there have been situations where one or both have been unavailable and Chapman's presence will likely mean there will be few nights when all three are unavailable.
"I think that he's an established closer, he's a guy that throws incredibly hard, he's got incredible stuff and he's got a great track record," Miller said. "There's no reason to think he doesn't make us better, and whether that's shortening a game, letting us maybe work some days where we get a day off or maybe you can avoid some of those times Dellin's got to go out and get four or five outs or get up and down, I think that that certainly helps us. Staying fresh is important and hopefully he contributes to that."
