The baseball gods are not known for being forgiving. However, they seem to have some sort of grudge against the New York Yankees in recent years. They have once again sent the injury bug to the Bronx. After losing several more players on Thursday, the Yanks are once again looking more like the RailRiders.
During Thursday’s 10-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, star shortstop Gleyber Torres left the game with a hamstring injury. The team also announced that starter James Paxton was facing discomfort in his elbow. Both players are set to receive MRIs on Friday.
These injuries are only the latest in a long stint of them. Superstar outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are both on the IL, with calf and hamstring issues, respectively. Leadoff hitter and defensive nomad D.J. LeMahieu is on the IL with a sprained thumb. Reliever Tommy Kahnle is out for the season after receiving Tommy John surgery, as is the ace starter Luis Severino. Zack Britton, who served as closer while Aroldis Chapman was working his way back from a positive COVID-19 test, is also on the IL with a hamstring issue.
History of injuries
According to CBS Sports, the Yankees had 29 players account for 36 separate stints on the IL last season, both of which were MLB records. Despite this, they finished 103-59, winning the AL East and advancing to the ALCS. The team has fought off the injuries enough to sustain success this season as well, with a record of 16-9.
“It’s always just the next guy up,” catcher Eric Kratz told the media following Thursday’s game. “Nobody is going to stop the games for us.”
Despite that quote, somebody may actually be stopping the games for the Yankees soon. Friday’s series opener against the New York Mets was canceled shortly after the Mets announced that one player and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The rest of the 3-game series is currently in doubt as well.
In this long, strange trip that is the 2020 MLB season, it seems only one thing is for certain: the Yankees just cannot stay healthy.