The New York Yankees are dealing with a myriad of injuries right now, spreading across the active roster. Starting pitcher, Luis Severino is currently on the 60-day injured list, and Giancarlo Stanton has also been out for weeks dealing with Achilles tendinitis.
That is not to mention Anthony Rizzo and his lower back issue. The latest knock was Matt Carpenter, who fractured his foot on a foul ball Monday evening, throwing another wrench into the Yankees’ long-term plans.
Carpenter has been one of the team’s best offensive contributors this season after being scooped up a few months ago. He’s made 47 appearances with the Bombers, hitting .305 with a 41.2% on-base rate and .727 slugging percentage. After hitting sub .200 with the St. Louis Cardinals over the past two seasons, Carpenter reinvented his swing and has been paying dividends for the Yankees.
Losing him is already becoming a significant issue, especially after the Yankees called Miguel Andujar up to supplement his departure to the 10-day injured list.
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The Yankees can’t trust Andujar at this point:
In extra innings, Andujar started on second base as part of the rules. In another baserunning gaffe, Andujar was leaning too far toward third base, hesitating when Aaron Hicks smashed a line drive right to second base. Andujar found himself trapped in the middle of the base paths looking back as he was easily tagged out without any resistance.
That type of lackluster baserunning and the fact Andujar struck out three times on the evening just goes to show how important Carpenter was toward the team’s success. His ability to launch homers into right field and collect base hits while showing patience at the plate was appreciated. Considering he was scooped up off Texas’ AAA affiliate and elevated immediately to the Yankees’ top team shows his progress and the underrated value he held before his rediscovery.
Now, the Yankees find themselves trying to augment his loss, which is borderline impossible given the options they have available.
Hopefully, Carpenter can make a return from the fractured foot in mid-September, but it is unlikely. The Yankees are also expected to get back Harrison Bader, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline.
Bader should provide another bat and elite defensive centerfielder, sending Aaron Hicks to the bench. In instances like this, Hicks can serve as the DH if Stanton is unhealthy. Overall, the Yankees are losing players at an unsustainable rate, meaning they need to get healthier before playoff ball comes around.