Since the beginning of spring training, the New York Yankees have been blessed with no major injuries to keep players out for the whole season. Although that is good news compared to the last two seasons, the Yankees have not been unscathed. Here are the most recent updates on the Yankee injured players.
Clarke Schmidt:
Schmidt vying for a place in the starting rotation, was hit early in spring training with bad news on that front. He was the first Yankee to suffer an injury in spring training. Schmidt suffered a common extensor strain. No matter how common he will miss significant time. Aaron Boone said that he is making satisfactory progress over the weekend but is still at least a week away from starting to throw again. Once he starts that, a better prediction can be made when he will pitch against live batters.
Zack Britton:
There have been quite a few minor injuries to players this spring training, but nothing compared to the last two seasons. The most devastating blow to the New York Yankees was when Zack Britton developed soreness in his elbow after a bullpen session. He had an MRI, and it was determined that surgery would be necessary to remove a bone chip from this throwing elbow.
This is particularly devasting due to the loss of Tommy Kahnle to the Dodgers. The Yankee did acquire Darren O’Day to ease the loss of Kahnle, but it made Britton’s role in the bullpen even more important as he would be the key setup man for Aroldis Chapman, even closing some games. Although it is unclear, the surgery is expected to occur today in New York by team surgeon Dr. Christopher Ahmad. He will be shut down for a month to six weeks and will have to build back up, making his return to the team sometime in late May or June.
Luis Severino:
Severino pitched in only three games in 2019 ( ERA 1.50) before needing Tommy John surgery; he lost the rest of the season and all of 2020. Now rehabbing, he is expected to rejoin the team in June or July. The recent reports on his progress are encouraging. Over the weekend, Severino, who has been throwing off the flat, took his first pitches off the mound. Bullpen coach Harkey said that Severino has been “working his tail off” to get back to form. Harkey believes he will be 100% upon his return.
Michael Beltre:
Beltre left Friday’s game against Pittsburgh with a hamstring injury, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reported. The severity of the injury is not known as he consults with team doctors. Beltre posted a .637 OPS in the minors in 2019. So far this season, he had a hit in 11 plate appearances hoping to make the team. Rehab time for hamstring injuries is hard to predict. He could be back next week, or his spring training could be over; it sometimes takes a couple of months to recover fully according to the injury’s severity.
Robinson Chirinos:
With the loss of backup catcher Erik Kratz to retirement, the Yankees needed another catcher. They solved that with the signing of veteran catcher Robinson Chirinos. He has been playing and catching well, but now all his plans are on hold due to getting hit by a pitch last Wednesday. He is consulting with specialists to determine if he will need surgery. If he does, he will be out for some time.
Miguel Andujar:
In May of 2019, Andujar had season-ending surgery on his shoulder for the budding Yankee star. The Yankees needed a replacement at the hot corner, and they brought up Gio Urshela to fill in, a move that would prove unfortunate for Miguel. Urshela was so good he became the Yankees’ permanent third baseman. Last season he fought his way back even though the Yankees had no place for him, and that continued this spring training as he tried to gain a spot in the lineup. All of that is in question with an odd wrist and hand soreness that has become more intense in spring training. Now he is enlisting the services of a hand specialist. With this type of injury, there is no way to tell how long he will be away from the team.
Aaron Boone:
Over the offseason and particularly at the beginning of spring training, New York Yankee manager Aaron Boone felt punk, just not right. At the start of spring training, Boone noticed bouts of being tired and labored breathing. He consulted with doctors, and it was determined that his heart was beating too slowly and would require a pacemaker to correct the deficiency. In his second week with the pacemaker, the good news is that he back with the team and is feeling great, better than in years.
Although not injured, I have to mention that the New York Yankees have to be encouraged that both Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon seem very healthy and are performing as advertised. The Yankees took a big risk, hiring Kluber and trading for Taillon; both had not pitched for over a year due to injury and surgery.