With Opening Day just days away, the injury bug has taken a chunk out of the Yankees.
The Bombers, vying for a return to the World Series and a chance to finish the job after getting outplayed by the Dodgers in last year’s Fall Classic, can still be one of baseball’s best teams — especially in the American League — following an offseason of significant change. Juan Soto’s defection to the cross-town rival Mets headlined the Yanks’ departures, but they acquired the likes of Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in hopes of returning to the promised land.
“You can’t replace a guy like Juan Soto,” Aaron Judge, the reigning MVP coming off a disappointing postseason, said early on in camp. “But you bring in guys like this who are All-Star, MVP caliber players, we did a pretty good job.”
While the Yankees arrived at camp pleased with their pivot, they have endured a painful spring since.
Gerrit Cole won’t pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Giancarlo Stanton is out indefinitely after reporting to camp with tennis elbows, which he played through last year. Luis Gil won’t take the mound until at least the summer thanks to a lat strain. DJ LeMahieu is recovering from a calf strain. Jake Cousins showed up with a forearm strain and won’t be ready for Opening Day. Clarke Schmidt has dealt with a pair of minor injuries that will force him to start the season on the injured list.
A handful of other aches and pains have eaten into the Yankees’ depth and raised red flags, particularly in the bullpen and rotation.
While the former is still in strong shape, the latter is no longer the force it appeared to be when camp opened. Losing Gil opened a rotation spot for Marcus Stroman, who reported as the Yankees’ sixth starter following an offseason of trade rumors, an actionless postseason and a disastrous second half in 2024. With Cole also out and Schmidt delayed, Carlos Carrasco, a 15-year veteran and standout non-roster invitee with a 5.32 ERA over the last four seasons, and Will Warren, a rookie coming off a bumpy debut season, are expected to fill out the back of the rotation.
As for the DH spot, there’s no telling when Stanton will return after he experienced “very high” levels of pain in his elbows, which he described as “severe.” Stanton has received three rounds of PRP injections, but Brian Cashman has called surgery a “last resort, ” as operations would knock Stanton out for the year.
The slugger’s absence has made it possible for the Yankees to carry three lefty-swinging catchers. Austin Wells is entrenched as the starter behind the plate, while Ben Rice and J.C. Escarra are the other backstops. They’ve all enjoyed strong springs offensively. That said, Judge will likely get some DH days as well.
Third base, a problem that dates back to last season, looks like it is Oswaldo Cabrera’s job to lose, though Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes could factor in. LeMahieu was also in the mix prior to his injury, as the Yankees entered spring training with underwhelming options at the position. It’s possible they bring in outside talent before Opening Day, but the Yankees have been reluctant to add to a payroll that is already over the highest luxury tax threshold.
“There’s always the marketplace,” Cashman said over the winter, but that has yet to yield any new third base candidates, a notable right-handed hitter or new rotation depth.
The hot corner is not the Bombers’ only problem that predates their wave of injuries this spring.
Their post-Soto lineup — missing a proven leadoff man and a bit short on guys who get on base — is heavily reliant on former MVPs Bellinger and Goldschmidt. Both have eased concerns with stellar springs, but Bellinger has been inconsistent over the last few years and Goldschmidt is 37, coming off the worst season of his career, and has been dealing with a sore back.
Hal Steinbrenner is hopeful that the duo can make up for a “good deal” of Soto’s production, but that’s a tough ask.
“I’m excited about the lineup,” Judge said. “I don’t know how it’s all going to work out, who’s gonna bat where and all that, but up and down this lineup we’ve got guys who are gonna have good at-bats.”
That remains to be seen, as the Yankees’ offense will also require strides from young hitters like Wells, Rice, Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez. Volpe, in particular, is entering a pivotal third season, as he’s only shown brief flashes with his bat while mostly struggling through his first two campaigns.
“I expect him to really tick up on the consistency part of things offensively this year,” Boone said.
Domínguez must also show that he can handle left field as the Yankees look to improve defensively. The Martian has not put that question to bed following a few gaffes last September, as he made a few more mishaps early on in spring training.
Still, the Yankees remain confident he can adapt to the corner.
“There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to handle left field,” Boone said.