With Spring Training and the MLB season on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Yankees will have some time to let their oft-injured roster rest and heal.
The Yankees off-season began in ideal fashion when they officially welcomed Gerrit Cole in December with one of the most lucrative contracts for a pitcher in MLB history solidifying a roster already oozing with talent.
It appeared as if the Bronx Bombers had put the finishing touches on a roster favored by Vegas to win the World Series before the signing, but an injury riddled spring training could put the Yankees World Series chances in jeopardy.
A look at their injuries so far:
Luis Severino:
The first major news out of Tampa came from the pinstripes on February 25th. The Yankees announced that starting pitcher Luis Severino needed Tommy John surgery.
During his first bullpen session, Severino complained of discomfort in his forearm which began during last season’s playoffs. Further testing confirmed the worst potential outcome: Severino will miss the entire 2020 season.
The 2020 shutdown is the most recent of continuing setbacks for Severino after making just three starts in 2019 due to a shoulder injury.
The loss of Severino causes a ripple effect throughout the Yankees rotation. Players like J.A. Happ and Jordan Montgomery, who once bolstered the bottom of a loaded lineup, now move into more prominent positions as top-of-the-rotation starters. With Domingo German suspended over 60 games and James Paxton’s complicated injury history, the Yankees head into April with more question marks than they have the answers to.
Giancarlo Stanton:
The Yankees had not yet recovered from the substantial loss of Severino before manager Aaron Boone announced outfielder and former MVP Giancarlo Stanton had strained his right calf.
“He’ll be down for a little bit,” Boone said as he addressed the media after an 8-2 win against the Nationals.
“Down for a bit” has become the mantra for Stanton’s career with the Yankees. Playing just 18 games in 2019, Stanton’s ungodly 13-year, $325 million contract ($265 million of which is owed by the Yankees) has not been very team-friendly as Stanton’s body has continued to betray him.
Stanton’s early spring woes are not a good sign, but the Yankees won 103 games and a division title regardless his limitations. It seems more and more like any production from Stanton will be icing on the cake of a roster with all-stars all over the field.
Aaron Judge:
Opposite to Stanton’s left field is Aaron Judge in right. The 6’7”, 280 pound Judge has battled his fair share of injuries early throughout his career. Playing 112 games in 2018 and 102 games in 2019, he has been relatively available, but calling Judge an iron-man would not exactly be accurate.
It was announced, again by way of Aaron Boone, that Judge had been diagnosed with a broken rib he suffered while diving for a ball in the outfield last September. Boone said the reason the injury went so long without acknowledgement is due to the fact the rib was not detected by an MRI exam.
The significance of Judge’s injury is relatively unknown. Boone stated they will re-evaluate Judge’s status in two weeks as of March 6th. This would give him, best case scenario, a March 20th return, just six days before the Yankees season opener. However, it is unlikely Judge will be available to start the season.
On the other hand, the worst case scenario is Judge would need surgery to remove the rib.
“I wouldn’t say that is off the table,” Boone said regarding the surgery. However, Judge is optimistic he could avoid it.
“They brought it up, but the fact that the bone is healing and progressing the right way, there is no need to go down that route,’’ Judge said. “If it wasn’t healing and wasn’t going the way we want it to go then [surgery] is possible.’’
Outlook:
Last season, the Yankees injury plague seemed like somewhat of an enigma. They lost starting pitchers, all-star level position players, and key relievers for extended periods of time. These significant injuries would have most certainly halted any aspirations for championship contention for most teams.
The Yankees kept winning.
Breakout moments from Clint Frazier, Mike Ford, Mike Tauchman, Gio Urshela, and many others propelled the Yankees into the postseason with ease. To anyone unfamiliar with the Yankees these names are most likely unknown, yet they carried the Pinstripes to another AL East title though health and new signings may keep them off the everyday roster this season.
The Yankees mantra certainly could have been “down for a bit.”
Instead, it was “Next Man Up.”
Now, they are focused on bringing another World Series ring to the MLB’s winningest franchise.