‘It’s crazy’: The Yankees keep getting injured, but they keep winning anyway
The fill-ins for the injured players are being replaced with fill-ins for other fill-ins by now.
SAN FRANCISCO — It has reached the point of this mind-boggling New York Yankees season that the fill-ins for the wounded regulars have been replaced by other fill-ins because of more injuries.
Already with a major-league-leading 13 players on the injured list, the Yankees watched two players who have become indispensable during this rash of injuries — infielders D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela — leave Sunday’s 11-5 win against the San Francisco Giants with ailments.
“Hopefully — hopefully — we avoided some serious injuries,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Somehow, despite all those moving parts and all these trips to the trainer’s room, the Yankees swept the lowly Giants during the three-game series, and have won 11 of their past 13 games. Granted, they have played only one team this season with a winning record, the Houston Astros, but even the Yankees’ battered roster and makeshift lineups have been good enough to post a 17-11 record.
“It’s been the story of the season besides winning a bunch of games lately,” LeMahieu said.
Signed to a two year $24 million deal in the winter to be a multipurpose infielder, LeMahieu has been one of the team’s best players because of his stout defense and hitting (.310 average).
LeMahieu fouled a ball off his right knee in Friday’s game, played through the end of that game and was on the field again Saturday. He started Sunday, but he said the knee stiffened and pain worsened as the game went on. After making a play in the second inning, he walked gingerly off the field, down the dugout steps and left the game.
The Yankees announced that an X-ray on LeMahieu’s knee showed no breaks. Boone referred to the injury as a “deep bruise” and said LeMahieu was scheduled for an MRI test Monday, when the Yankees are off in Phoenix for the next leg of their trip.
Hear Gio Urshela x-ray is negative, which brings much relief. Urshela and LeMahieu have been saviors. Both left this game. There’s hope LeMahieu’s injury isn’t too serious also. #yankees
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 28, 2019
With his knee wrapped up after the game, LeMahieu said he was “not too” concerned about the extent of the injury and hoped to return to the lineup Tuesday.
As if one injury to a key player was not enough, the Yankees watched Urshela be struck on the left hand by an 89-mph fastball from Giants reliever Nick Vincent in the fifth inning. The team said later that Urshela’s X-ray results were negative.
“I thought it was worse with how it hurt and how I felt in the moment, but soon after, I could move my fingers and my hand,” said Urshela after the game, also with his hand wrapped up.
Urshela, who agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees over the winter, was not on the major league roster until the second week of the season. Injuries to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and third baseman Miguel Andujar pushed LeMahieu primarily to second base and Urshela into an everyday role at third. Urshela, also a standout defender, has also been a significant force in the lineup: With an improved swing, he has posted a .351 average, with the team batting him at cleanup Friday.
But without LeMahieu and Urshela, the Yankees’ infield looked like this in the later innings: Tyler Wade, who was in Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the season, was at third base after having started the game in left field; Gleyber Torres, who took over at shortstop after Tulowitzki’s injury, was at his normal spot; Thairo Estrada, an infield prospect who played left field for the first time in his life earlier in the series, was at second base; and Luke Voit was at first base.
“It’s crazy,” said Voit over the weekend. He leads the Yankees with eight homers and 25 RBIs after driving in two more Sunday.
“It’s like we have a new face in our locker room every day,” he continued. “It’s fun, man, because no one thinks we should be winning these games and everyone on our club, before the game and after the game, is cheering for each other and happy. Our confidence is through the roof.”
During this stretch, the Yankees have won with a mix of their trademark home runs — catcher Gary Sanchez, who returned last week from a short stint on the IL with a calf strain, smashed two long ones this series, including Sunday — and some elements of small ball, like the safety squeeze play and stealing bases. During this span, they have averaged 6.3 runs a game.
That poor ball.
Gary Sanchez has done it again!pic.twitter.com/5OrtiV4AhP
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 28, 2019
On the mound, their starting pitching has also led the way, posting a 2.77 ERA over the past 13 games, even after Domingo German allowed four runs over six innings Sunday.
After the latest victory, Boone said he was proud of the team’s continued resolve. He pointed to Estrada and outfielder Cameron Maybin, whom the Yankees acquired in a trade last week after Clint Frazier landed on the IL, entering Sunday’s game as substitutes and combining for three hits and a run.
“I’ve always felt with this team, through ups and down and whatever, they’re really good at turning the page,” Boone said. “But I do think there’s an extra focus right now with what we’re going through.”
