The New York Yankees have been able to avoid significant injuries this season, despite dealing with a few in the bullpen the past few weeks. The starting infield has been healthy for the most part. Starting shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa suffered a minor left hamstring injury, which forced him to the bench on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We decided it was best to take it slow,’’ Kiner-Falefa said. “That way it’s just a couple days or one day [missed].”
The injury appears to be minor, and he could make a return to the lineup on Monday, which is a good sign. The Yankees lost to Toronto in the final game of a three-game series up north, 10–9. Kiner-Falefa was upset he wasn’t able to contribute and felt as though he let the team down with Gleyber Torres making the transition to shortstop.
“I was trying to secretly run back here and do stuff, just because I saw Gleyber going out there,’’ Kiner-Falefa said. “I felt like I kind of let the team down in a way today, just because we couldn’t make the switches possible.”
Fortunately for IKF, the team’s offense was lethal, but the pitching struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark. There’s nothing he could’ve done differently that would’ve helped the Yankees secure victory. The team will look to bounce back against the Tampa Bay Rays down south starting on Monday evening at 7:10 PM.
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s contributions:
After being acquired from the Minnesota Twins, Kiner-Falefa has provided solid contact, getting on base at a 32% clip. He’s hitting .273 on the season with a .325 slugging percentage and 18 RBIs. He hasn’t hit a home run this season but is only striking out at a 15.4% and walking 6.6%.
General manager Brian Cashman figured he needed more men on base. IKF presents a valuable baserunner who gets on frequently, allowing the sluggers to take advantage with runners in scoring position.
Defensively, IKF has struggled at shortstop periodically, recording a .966 fielding percentage with seven errors over 531.2 innings. The former Twin and Ranger is known for his abilities at third base. He’s holding down shortstop valiantly until one of the Yankees’ top young guns reaches the MLB.