SEATTLE — There was nothing Tim Hill could do but wait for the waiver process to play out, so he sat there in his Chicago apartment with his girlfriend and waited for news.

This was June 2024, just before Hill joined the Yankees.

Hill had good seasons as a sidearm sinkerball lefty reliever, but the last of his three years in San Diego didn’t go well in 2023 and then he didn’t make it through half the next season playing for the White Sox.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder didn’t know what would come next after he was designated for assignment by the White Sox, who were on their way to 121 losses, the most in MLB history. He wasn’t happy about his 5.87 ERA in 27 outings, but he thought he’d pitched better than his numbers.

The hope was that the right change of scenery could get him back to pitching like he did in his best seasons with the Royals and Padres. He needed patience for that to happen.

For six days, Hill waited to see if he’d clear waivers while getting assurances from his agent that he’d latch on right away with another major-league club. He definitely didn’t want to go back to the minors, not at 34.

“That was a week where I questioned some things,” Hill told NJ.com this week. “There’s a lot of uncertainty as far as what’s next, so that was pretty stressful.”

This wasn’t on the level of when Hill had to beat cancer as a minor leaguer, but it still was scary.

“Correct,” he said.

His agent was right. After clearing waivers and being released six days after being designated for assignment, Hill signed a major-league contract with the Yankees.

“I know our guys always liked him, even going back to when he was in San Diego,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We thought there was a little more meat on the bone, too.”

The over/under for Friday’s matchup featuring the Yankees and the Marlins is set at 7.5 total runs on DraftKings. Our comprehensive DraftKings Sportsbook review will show you how to use their platform.

Hill was thrilled to be joining a contender, but he didn’t know how his laid-back Southern California personality would fit in New York City. He’d heard Yankees fans can be very impatient and the New York media could be tough.

There was immediate pressure on his pitching plate, too.

“When I got to New York, it was like, ‘All right, cool, I’m here,’” Hill said. “But at that point, you’ve got to assume that you’re the lowest man on the totem pole. So any roster move, it can be you. Just being in that role was kind of stressful in the beginning.”

Not for long.

Working with pitching coach Matt Blake, Hill quickly became one of the Yankees’ best relievers. He posted a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings (35 games). He’d never been consistently that good before.

It was a dream season for Hill as the Yankees made it to the 2024 World Series against the Dodgers, his hometown team. Hill pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium with his mom in the stands.

The Yankees showed their appreciation in the offseason. When Hill became a free agent, New York signed him to a one-year, $2.85 million deal that included a club option for 2026.

Happy with Hill’s 2025 season, the Yankees’ first roster move this past offseason was vesting his $3 million option.

Now, in three outings of 2026, Hill’s worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He’s faced 10 batters and retired nine, three on strikeouts and one on a double-play groundball.

In Tuesday night’s 5-0 Yankees win in Seattle, Hill closed out the Mariners with ease, a 1-2-3 ninth on seven pitches.

“He’s a gamer,” Boone said. “He’s a dog. He is fearless. He’s really competitive and just an awesome teammate, someone that’s been a lot of fun to be around.”

It’s been fun for Hill, too. He’s enjoying everything that comes with being a Yankee.

“It’s definitely better than I thought,” Hill said. “Going to New York, I didn’t know what to expect. Being in such a big market, you hear things about the Yankees and the media and all that stuff.

“When I got here, I saw it is a bit more. There’s more of everything. It just seems like everything’s a little more scrutinized, but I feel it’s kind of a good thing. It keeps you accountable. I think I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I like it more than I thought I would.”

Now 36, Hill is getting better with age. He’s never been a hard thrower and the velocity on his sinker has dropped from 91.5 mph in 2019 to 89.5 mph last season, but he’s countered that by becoming a smarter pitcher.

“I just think as you get older, you start getting better at understanding where your stuff plays better,” Hill said. “When you’re young, you try to do things that might be outside of your realm of strengths. Understanding that a little better tends to help with your production.”

The Yankees love having Hill in their bullpen. They love that he’s very tough on left-handed hitters but gets righties out, too. They love that can pitch in any relief role, for multiple ups and, when needed, two days in a row, three times in four, etc.

The deception in Hill’s delivery is one of his biggest strengths.

“Obviously, it’s a very unique angle,” Boone said. “You don’t see that many guys down there from (that angle), either (right-handed or left-handed), but what I’ve liked is he’s continued to evolve a little bit.

“You’re seeing him this year mix the two- and the four-seam a little bit. You’re seeing him mix in some sliders as more than just an afterthought. He handles his position really well. He controls the running game.

“He does a lot of really good things out there.”

Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.