Devin Williams’ new reality has come with ‘adjusting’ as he looks to regain Yankees’ closer job

Last week wasn’t the first time Devin Williams got tough news from a manager. 

Much like Aaron Boone told the closer that he was being removed from the role after a dismal first 10 appearances as a Yankee, Williams said he had a similar conversation in 2021 with the Brewers when was Josh Hader’s setup man in Milwaukee and got off to a shaky beginning to the season and then-manager Craig Counsell talked to him. 

“Counsell called me in and said he would use me in lower-leverage outings — pretty much the same as now — deservedly so,” Williams said before the Yankees faced the Rays on Friday in The Bronx.

“But the way it turned out when he told me was that with the way the game went that night, me and Hader were ready in the pen. I threw the eighth, put up a zero and continued to do it and it put me back on track.”