The New York Yankees has started off the 2021 campaign with significant issues, and one of them is at first base. In fact, they went into the season with Jay Bruce penciled in as the starter, and he has since retired after skipper Aaron Boone was forced to make a change due to inadequacies.
It is no secret that they desperately miss one of their best hitters and starting first baseman, Luke Voit. Voit is rehabilitating from surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, but he’s making positive progress as a team finally picked up their second win in three games against the Cleveland Indians on Thursday afternoon.
“Well, Luke brings a ton to the table,†Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. “He’s been one of the elite hitters in the game last few years and certainly is one of the voices in our clubhouse, so we certainly love having his energy on top of what he brings to the batter’s box.â€
Boone is right about that, Voit has been an absolute star the past two seasons. In 2020, he essentially carried the Yankees’ team at times, hitting a league-high 22 home runs in 56 games. He finished with a .277 average and 1.8 WAR. He also picked up 52 RBIs and showcased a .991 fielding percentage with three errors, proving his improvement as a defender as well as an offensive weapon.
Aaron Boone on Luke Voit’s rehab:
“He will be in Scranton the early part of next week when he will start to take regular BP and then work into some live BP, and then hopefully get a few games under his belt, as well. He’s doing really well and going according to plan.”