22 all-star appearances. Five Silver Slugger awards. Three Gold Gloves. An MVP and a Cy Young. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 New York Yankees…
…injured list?
Troy Tulowitzki’s departure in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss against the Detroit Tigers added a plus one to the Yankees’ MLB-leading 10-man IL. He joins Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar on the list of players to go down since the team’s opening game last Thursday.
Tulowitzki was the Yankees Plan-A in wake of Didi Gregorius’ UCL injury that will keep him shelved until at least June. The 34-year-old missed all of 2018 and almost 100 more games the season before. He had two hits, including a home run, in his 11 at-bats this season.
Gleyber Torres, who started two of the first five games at shortstop, will assume the full-time duties moving forward. Tyler Wade wasn’t even on the Opening Day roster, but now becomes a name that will be penciled in the starting lineup on a regular basis.
Thairo Estrada, 22, has been promoted to the Bronx, earning his first stint in the big leagues. Injuries limited the infielder to 18 games last year, but in 2017 he hit .301 with 48 RBIs and 72 runs scored with Double-A affiliate Trenton Thunder. Estrada ranks 19th among Yankee prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
The Yankees offense, who have plated just five runs in the three-game series against Detroit, will have to soon find their identity. Two wins in their first six games against teams with a combined 213 losses last year is not an ideal start, especially when playing without four everyday starters. An American League-leading .358 on-base percentage is a positive sign for the Bombers, but they are just 8-for-42 with runners in scoring position (.190 BA).
Stanton and center fielder Aaron Hicks could return to the lineup at some point this month, but it is still about three weeks away from that even becoming a possibility. In the meantime, the Yankees will continue to lean on their Triple-A call-ups, who have not put together an ideal first week of the season. Wade, along with outfielders Mike Tauchman and Clint Frazier have combined for three hits in 22 at-bats, including ten strikeouts.
The starting pitching staff, which was perhaps the biggest concern for the ball club entering 2019, has proven to be a strength thus far, posting a 2.32 ERA. C.C. Sabathia is expected to make his season debut in two weeks while Luis Severino has a little longer to wait but should reclaim his ‘ace’ role at some point in May.
A six-game road trip begins Thursday for the Yankees, starting with a chance to redeem themselves versus their division rival Baltimore Orioles followed by a trip to the Lone Star State to play the Houston Astros.
