The injury bug is slowly starting to take shape for the New York Yankees this spring, as Zack Britton will miss a few weeks needing arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow. Clarke Schmidt is already dealing with a minor injury that should keep them out for a few more days, and now Miguel Andujar is dealing with a sore hand and wrist.
Andujar is trying to conform to a specific role on the team, primarily as a utility player that can play in the outfield, third base, and first base. Andujar simply isn’t defensively proficient in any specific category, with his offensive attributes keeping him afloat at the major-league level.
An inopportune time for Miguel Andujar to pick up an injury with the Yankees:
“He’s dealing with a sore hand and wrist,” Boone said. “Think he’s seeing a hand specialist tomorrow along with [Robinson] Chirinos to really get a diagnosis of exactly what’s going on there. We’ve held him back because he’s been dealing with a sore wrist and hand and we’ll know more about probably tomorrow or Tuesday.â€
“Something he felt a little in winter ball. He took a swing and it’s kinda calmed down and he’s obviously playing and fine,” Boone said. “Then, he noticed it in his last game he played. It just got a little more sore again. So we’ve kinda been treating it here these last several days.â€
Last season with the Bombers, Miggy recorded a .242 average with one HR and five RBIs. He struggled significantly to get things going over a small sample size, but with the MLB projected to play all 162 games, the Yankees will likely need Andujar to keep fatigue down.
Gary Sanchez’s resurgence has teammates raving:
The return of Gary Sanchez is one of the more exciting storylines this season. So far, the spring, Sanchez is batting .278 with three homers and three RBIs. He’s looked far more comfortable at the plate and has taken a more aggressive role with his defense and adjusting to the new pitchers the Yankees added this off-season. His work ethic can’t be questioned, and that has excited some of his fellow teammates.
“I think he’s been unbelievable,’’ Higashioka said Saturday of his fellow catcher.
“It’s really good to see him swinging the bat well again,’’ Higashioka said. “Last year was definitely tough for him — and everyone — because we all want to see him do well.â€
Considering a Hihashioka is his direct competition, it is nice to see how much of a team player he is. Sanchez looks more comfortable at the plate and has been rewarded with confidence-inspiring words from his teammates and coaches. Personally, I believe Sanchez’s struggles are mostly mental and not physical, so going into the regular season with some motivation will do him well.