The New York Yankees simply can’t catch a break. Injuries are piling up significantly before Opening Day and it’s beginning to affect the starting units. In fact, even the reserves are feeling the contagious nature of the injury bug.
The latest to miss time is rotational player Tyler Wade – suffering from tight hips, an injury usually found in the dancing hips of Shakira. The cause of this ailment might be in relation to a four-hour bus ride to West Palm Beach, but the utility man didn’t think anything of it until game time when he found it necessary to speak up to manager Aaron Boone.
The New York Yankees are in trouble:
After 4 1/2 innings, Wade was pulled from the game – the Yankees lost to the Houston Astros 2-1 but lost much more in terms of player value than what the scoreboard indicated.
“Opening Day is (a week) away,†Wade said after going 0-for-2 with a strikeout, according to NJ.com. “A lot of guys are hurt right now, so I didn’t want to keep pushing it, keep pushing it, keep pushing it. It’s just my hips are tight.â€
The Yankees are going into the regular season with five players on the injured list that are expected to return – Luis Severino, CC Sabathia, Dellin Betances, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Aaron Hicks. Other players such as Didi Gregorius will take far more time to return to full health.
Wade, on the other hand, refuses to join the long list of injured starters, ensuring the media that he will be healthy for the season opener next Thursday.
The Yankees’ outfield is thin:
With Hicks’ stiff back holding him out for several weeks, Wade will be the only Yankees reserve outfielder. They simply cannot afford to lose any more players due to injury or they could be in the realm of minor league pullups.
Both Hicks, Sabathia, and Betances are expected to return in April, with Severino thought to have a timetable to return in early May. The priority should be to proceed with caution, as further straining injuries is a legitimate concern moving forward.