Jorbit Vivas was supposed to play third base for the Yankees today, but instead, he suffered a face injury during the pre-game for the Yankees’ final Spring Training game in Tampa against the Mets. The left-handed hitting infielder was acquired in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this offseason, and following the news that DJ LeMahieu would be placed on the IL with a bone bruise, this is more than suboptimal. For positive news, Vivas didn’t show symptoms of a concussion, but he will undergo further testing at a local hospital.
The Yankees are thin on infield depth and this certainly doesn’t help, but the priority right now is that Jorbit Vivas can hopefully avoid any serious injury.
Jorbit Vivas Suffers Face Contusion Before Yankees’ Spring Game
The New York Yankees weren’t expecting to roster Jorbit Vivas ahead of Opening Day, even with the injury to DJ LeMahoeu, but having him available would certainly have helped. It’s an unfortunate and scary accident that occurred in Spring Training, and the left-handed infielder will have to undergo evaluation before the severity of the injury can be determined. The lack of concussion symptoms is encouraging, but we also know that head injuries are a fickle situation that requires time and testing to be certain.
He’s impressed many people in the Yankees’ organization thus far in Spring Training, posting a 148 wRC+ and walking 12.9% of the time in 15 games. Featured in the Spring Breakout Game earlier this month, the Yankees have high hopes for him, and they believe he could be a versatile infield option who can play second, third, and even shortstop in a pinch, but those plans are now in flux with this injury. Not every player who’s been struck with a ball has missed an extensive period, but checking for any potential fractures is important.
As more updates come out, we’ll make sure to cover the situation, but he will likely not be a factor for their infield as they figure out the Opening Day roster.