Jon Berti had a nasty-looking injury in the Yankees’ series opener against the San Diego Padres on Friday, and while they ended up winning the series, they took a blow to their infield depth chart. The veteran infielder was acquired for outfielder John Cruz right before Opening Day to supplement the third base position, and with Oswaldo Cabrera slumping after his red-hot start, his playing time had increased in the process. DJ LeMahieu’s return would make Berti more of a utility infielder, but he’s now out for an extended period with a high-grade calf strain.
When speaking to the media before tonight’s game, Jon Berti revealed he received a PRP injection in his calf today to help with the recovery, and that he could be out for 6-8 weeks as a result.
Jon Berti Likely Out For 6-8 Weeks, Yankees Infield Takes a Hit
One of the few things wrong with the 2024 New York Yankees has been the third base position, getting just a 91 wRC+ and ranking 23rd in fWAR (0.5). The early-season injury to DJ LeMahieu coupled with Oswaldo Cabrera slumping has caused the position to tail off in recent weeks, and this injury doesn’t help that cause. Looking at the brighter side of things, LeMahieu is set to make his season debut tonight against the Los Angeles Angels, so they should get their everyday third baseman back in the mix.
For Jon Berti however, this is a tough blow as he had been hitting over .300 with an OPS nearing .800 since his return from the IL, including his first home run with the team. This is his second stint on the injured list, although this one looks to be far lengthier than the first one. With a 6-8 week timeline, that would make his return something we could see in late July or early August, creating an interesting question if the Yankees were to make any deadline additions to the infield.