One week into the new baseball season, the New York Yankees have only two wins and seven notable players on the injured list, which means manager Aaron Boone will rely on replacements such as Clint Frazier, Tyler Wade, Johnny Lasagna, and Stephen Tarpley to play the role of “next man up” for the Yanks.
The Yankees are currently without their Ace, their set-up man, their 3-hitter, centerfielder, and entire left-side of the infield. Despite the rash of injuries, the Yankees are still the favorites to win the World Series this year.
BRONX ER – INJURED YANKEES:
P Dellin Bettances
P Luis Severino
P CC Sabathia
SS Didi Gregorius
CF Aaron Hicks
3B Miguel Andujar
OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton
The shuttle betweenAAA Scranton and the Bronx has been very busy. The Yankees called up minor leaguers Tyler Wade, Clint Frazier, and Jonathan “Johnny Lasagna” Loaisiga.
At the same time, several bench players stepped into starting roles. That includes position players Greg Bird, DJ LeMahieu, and Troy Tulowitzki, plus relief pitchers Luis Cessna and Stephen Tarpley.
The Replacements
The Yankees called up Tyler Wade to replace Miguel Andujar at third base. In the meantime, DJ LeMahieu stepped in immediately. Boone luckily had a veteran ready to roll.
The team acquired outfielder Mike Tauchman just before the start of the season after Aaron Hicks went down with a shoulder injury. The left-hitting Tauchman is the fourth former member of the Rockies to join the team this season.
The Yanks called up Clint Frazier to fill in for Stanton. Frazier suffered a concussion last season, but he finally gets an opportunity to play every day.
Jonathan “Johnny Lasagna” Loaisiga, who appeared in several spot starts last season, got the call up to the show to replace CC Sabathia. With Dellin Betances sidelined, Boone added rookie Stephen Tarpley to the roster. The relief pitcher was lights out in March in Tampa and Tarpley recognized as the team’s top rookie in Spring Training.
Aaron Judge said it the best, “It’s time for a lot of the new guys and the guys who have been here to step up.”
The Yankees need the big bats of Aaron Judge and Gary “Kraken” Sanchez more than ever.
Greg Bird becomes a valuable player for the Yankees. He’s one of the many Baby Bombers, but he’s been on the team the last few seasons. He’s one of the key players that can help boost the team during this downpour of injuries.
Manager Aaron Boone tapped Luke Voit as the starting first baseman because Bird struggled at the plate. Once Hicks went down, Boone was forced to play Stanton in the outfield, which opened up a DH position. Bird, in his attempt to do whatever it takes to help the team, was spotted taking infield practice at third base.
Bad News Tears
The Yankees are now playing without their left-side of the infield. Didi Gregorius is recovering from Tommy John surgery and Andujar might be dunzo for the entire season. Those labrum tears are serious business. Even if Andujar does not require surgery, it will be a precarious situation the rest of the season.
Andujar’s defense had come under heavy scrutiny in the offseason. He worked diligently on improving his footwork in the offseason, but now his shoulder injury becomes the top priority for the Yankees.
Injuries are opportunities in the big leagues. That means the Colorado guys and Tyler Wade will have chances to prove their worth. The Yankees acquired DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki in the offseason. Both former Rockies have taken on more responsibility faster than anyone imagined.
Tyler Wade is still a raw talent. With only 127 ABs, he hit just .165 in a small sample size. The Yanks will get to see how their top infield prospect can handle playing almost every day.
After five games against the Orioles and Tigers, the Yankees are 2-3. The Boston Red Sox also got off to a slow start. Their AL East rival and the defending champs are 1-5.
