Yankees’ Luke Voit is coming along at the plate and remains an important part of the team

New York Yankees, Luke Voit
Sep 15, 2020; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit (59) hits an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees’ first baseman Luke Voit has been injured for a large portion of the season. Knee and oblique ailments have robbed him some valuable playing time, and his issues staying healthy surely played a role in the Bombers landing Anthony Rizzo, who plays the same position.

Understandably, each time Voit has returned to the Yankees after a lengthy injury absence, it takes some time for him to find his stride. Getting his health back is one thing, but timing needs to be found on the go.

He returned to the lineup on August 8, the day the Yankees announced Rizzo was a positive COVID-19 case. Voit went 0-for-4 with a couple of strikeouts that day, and he looked off even though he had been taking some at-bats on a rehab assignments in the minor leagues.

On Monday, however, he has huge for the Yankees as the team fought their way to a win. It was not always pretty, but New York ended up prevailing in Kansas City after four blown saves. One of the primary reasons they won was, without a doubt, Luke Voit.

The Yankees’ unsung hero

The slugger went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI. One of his hits was a clutch single in the seventh inning in which he caught up to a high fastball and gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead, and the other was a crucial home run that provided the Yanks with another lead, this time a 3-2 one. Both were eventually blown, but seeing Voit handling the high heat and sending balls over the fence is a net positive for New York.

“It was the definition of a team win,” said Voit to MLB.com. “Everybody on the lineup card got the job done. Obviously, we had some ups and downs, but we kept fighting back. Luckily, we came out with the win.”

With Voit, health will always be the key.

 

“I finally feel like I’m landing good on my leg,” Voit said. “I’m able to drive through that front knee. It’s been a struggle for me because I was being soft with it. I was getting into bad habits because I was favoring it a little bit, especially earlier. It feels back to normal, and that’s all I can ask.”

Can Luke Voit keep leaving his mark even when Rizzo returns?