It’s July 8, the Yankees are nine GB of the division, and Wandy Peralta brings his ERA up to 5.26 and then promptly hits the IL. It seemed like he would become an afterthought and just be relegated to being optioned. The Yankees had every reason to give up on Peralta right then and there. They had internal options pitching better, and Joely Rodriguez seemed to emerge as the replacement for Peralta.
He returned in August, and was lined up to…start a game against the Mariners. That became the beginning of Peralta’s brilliant run.