Alexander Wilson
The Yankees finally got a little bit of good injury news Tuesday, but it came with enough bad to keep the whole thing from feeling clean.
Max Fried threw a bullpen session, which is a real step after the elbow bone bruise paused one of the best starts on the roster. They do not need to rush him back in June, but they do need signs that the ramp-up is moving in the right direction.
That part matters because the other two updates were not nearly as comfortable. Trent Grisham is expected to miss “a little bit of time” with his hamstring strain, and Giancarlo Stanton re-injured his calf, creating what will be a slow week with no running.
The Yankees needed the Fried step
Fried’s bullpen does not mean a return is right around the corner. It means the Yankees can at least start building from something again, and that is important for a rotation that has been relying on depth, Gerrit Cole’s return, and Cam Schlittler’s breakout to keep the ceiling high.
The Yankees have handled Fried carefully for a reason. A bone bruise in the elbow is not something to play around with, especially this early in the year and with October still the only thing that really matters. If Tuesday’s session leads to another clean throwing day, then the conversation can shift from concern to timeline.
That bullpen is the best-case development here, and it is probably the only piece from this injury batch that should make anyone feel better.
Stanton and Grisham keep stretching the lineup
Grisham missing time is a problem because the Yankees have already had to shuffle the outfield more than they wanted. Jasson DomÃnguez is back, Spencer Jones is getting runway, and Cody Bellinger can move around, but Grisham gives them the cleanest center-field defense and a patient bat that had started trending in the right direction.
Stanton’s update is more annoying because calf injuries can linger forever if the player keeps trying to restart too quickly. A slow week with no running does not sound dramatic, but for a DH-only power bat trying to prove he can handle a full ramp-up, it pushes the clock back again.
The Yankees can survive all of this for a bit because the roster is deep. They cannot let it become the excuse for standing still in July. Fried’s bullpen is encouraging, but Grisham’s hamstring and Stanton’s calf are reminders that “wait until healthy” is not always a plan. Sometimes it is just a hope wearing a nicer jacket.
More about:New York Yankees
