After yet another disappointing finish in the Postseason for the Yankees in 2019, falling in the ALCS to the (controversial) Astros in 6 games, the Yankees needed a spark to build some confidence heading into the 2020 season. Shortly after, the Yankees off-season kicked off with a resounding bang with the signing of star pitcher Gerrit Cole.
The addition of Cole immediately put the Yankees in the drivers seat, not only in the American League, but throughout Major League Baseball as a whole. The pinstripes were vaulted to the top of projections as World Series favorites for the upcoming season.
Just as Pitchers and Catchers began to report to Spring Training, the Yankees received news that seemingly began the domino effect of preseason injuries for the Bombers. The first to fall was James Paxton, who is currently sidelined till at least May following back surgery. After swallowing the pill of Paxton’s injury, the Yankees regrouped, with confidence still high as a result of Gerrit Cole walking out on the practice field in a Yankee Uniform, they then had to swallow an even tougher pill, with news of stud pitcher Luis Severino needing season-ending Tommy John surgery.
With 2 of their top starting pitchers down, the “injury bug” then crawled into the outfield at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay. Still reeling from the news of Paxton and Severino, the Yankees took a crushing blow, learning they will be without star outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge for Opening Day.
Stanton is sidelined with a Calf injury, and has no real timetable for return. Judge is currently shut down for the next 2 weeks with a fractured rib. With the possibility of surgery looming, the slugger could be out for an extended period of time. These injuries, on top of Aaron Hicks still recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in late October, leaves the Yankees outfield extremely shorthanded entering Opening Day.
With the injuries to their outfield, the Yanks’ will look to veteran Brett Gardner to “hold down the fort”, and younger prospects like Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman to fill in for Stanton and Judge, while top prospect Estevan Florial continues to prepare for “the show”.
The Yankees are no strangers to star players going down with injuries. 2019 was a season defined by Yankees stars being hurt, and the “next man up” mentality delivering huge win after huge win for Aaron Boone and the boys. It seems like, at the very least, the early parts of the Yankees 2020 season will be defined by the “next man up” mentality again, and if those who are on the field in place of the injured stars can once again be “savages” in the box for Aaron Boone.
FirstRow Sports Blog 