The New York Yankees can’t get out of their own way in regards to picking up injuries this season. The latest to miss extended time is starting catcher Gary Sanchez and first baseman Edwin Encarnación.
Sanchez, who was thrown out at second base attempting to steal, overstretched his leg and pulled his groin. This is an injury he has had before, and he could miss the rest of the regular season if not appropriately treated. The Yankees continue to suffer from the injury bug, and it could potentially spill over into the postseason.
However, manager Aaron Boone was optimistic that Sanchez could return this month:
“I don’t want to start saying o10 days, two weeks, three weeks, all these things, because we’re now in the early stages,” Boone said. I would say, based on the information given to me, I have some optimism.”
The Bombers desperately need their starting catcher, as he is one of their best home run hitters and his defensive qualities are a necessity. If Sanchez is forced to miss any time during the playoffs, backup catcher Austin Romine would likely head the responsibilities. With the number of injuries piling up, the Yankees cannot afford to lose any players and will already be thin moving forward.
“Hopeful we’ll get him back by the end of the season, but obviously these next few days, how he responds and everything, we’ll be able to determine the factor.”
The New York Yankees will gain back several players:
While the injury bug still lingers and the negatives continue to develop, the Yanks will return Luis Severino, Giancarlo Stanton, and Dellin Betances soon.
Severino is already scheduled to play on Tuesday, a massive development for the starting pitching rotation and Stanton is working his way back with the intention of rejoining the team next week as well.
All three players listed have missed the entire or a majority of the season. Their influence is significant and will be a huge boost to the team heading into the playoffs.