ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was a like a miracle that the Yankees were healthy as they’ve been in four years through the first month of the season. Amazingly, they made it through the first week of May with no in-season injuries.
Was this overdue good fortune on the injury front or a payoff in year three of their new strength and development staff?
Whatever it was, things sure changed in a hurry over the last two weeks.
The Yankees now have 10 players on the injured list, the four that have been sidelined all season plus six others that were shut down this month.
Here are updates on all 10:
ZACK BRITTON, LHP
Injury: Tommy John surgery on Sept. 8, 2021.
Status: 60-day injured list since March 13.
Missed games: 46
The latest: Yankees manager Aaron Boone misspoke the other day reporting Britton will throw to hitters for the first time since his surgery on Tuesday. It’ll be this weekend, Boone said on Saturday. He added that Britton could return less than a full calendar year from his surgery because his UCL reconstruction procedure was different from the usual Tommy John surgery. By having InternalBrace surgery, Britton potentially could return several months sooner than if he’d had regular Tommy John surgery.
Update from Boone on May 28: “Britton is really encouraged by where he’s at. He had a version of Tommy John, so his timeline is potentially shorter than the normal 12, 14, 16 months.”
* * *
AROLDIS CHAPMAN, LHP
Injury: Left Achilles tendinitis.
Status: 15-day injured list since May 24.
Missed games: 5.
The latest: Chapman hasn’t resumed throwing, but the Yankees have been and remain hopeful that his issue isn’t severe. A return by mid-June probably is best case.
Update from Boone on May 28: “There is a period of shutdown. Chapman will keep his arm moving.”
* * *
JOSH DONALDSON, 3B
Injury: Right shoulder inflammation.
Status: Transferred from COVID IL to 15-day IL on May 27 (backdated to May 23).
Missed games: 6
The latest: Donaldson has been battling shoulder discomfort in his throwing arm off and on since spring training. While Donaldson received fluids through an IV on Tuesday to address COVID symptoms, he also had an MRI on his shoulder, which revealed inflammation. He was given a cortisone shot to calm down his shoulder barking.
Update from Boone on May 27: “He went through some light throwing and some hitting (on Friday at Yankee Stadium). He’s feeling better. Hopefully it’s something that is a short thing and he keeps making improvements and this is something that benefits him.”
* * *
DOMINGO GERMAN, RHP
Injury: Right shoulder impingement syndrome.
Status: 60-day injured list since March 18.
Missed games: 46
The latest: German threw a two-inning simulated game on Saturday at the Yankees’ player development complex in Tampa and “looked good,” according to one of the hitters that he faced, rehabbing outfielder Tim Locastro. German later this week may be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment.
Update from Boone on May 28: “We’ll probably start to put that plan together about getting him out and pitching. I think we’ll consider (using him in any role). Obviously, we’ve seen him be a really good starter. The biggest thing is he’s a really good pitcher. I’m sure we’ll have those conversations as his build-up starts and on where we are from a need standpoint and go from there.”
* * *
CHAD GREEN, RHP
Injury: Right flexor tear.
Status: 15-day injured list since March 21.
Missed games: 8.
The latest: Green will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery this week.
* * *
JONATHAN LOAISIGA, RHP
Injury: Right shoulder inflammation.
Status: 15-day injured list since May 25 (retro to May 23).
Missed games: 4.
The latest: Loaisiga is on a schedule to resume throwing sometime next weekend and should be off the IL by early-to-mid June if he has no setbacks flushing out the inflammation.
Update from Boone: “We’re hoping (with Loaisiga and Chapman) they’re fairly minor situations. I think Lo has a 10-day shutdown period, but hopefully we’ll start to ramp up from there.”
* * *
TIM LOCASTRO, OF
Injury: Left lat strain.
Status: 10-day injured list since May 8.
Missed games: 21.
The latest: Locastro told Boone on Thursday that he was “ready” come to come off the IL and the speedy bench player took a step in that direction Saturday in Tampa getting six live BP at-bats facing German and minor leaguers at the Yankees’ player development complex. The Yankees will decide in the next day or so whether or not they want Locastro to play one or two rehab games before coming off the IL.
* * *
STEPHEN RIDINGS, RHP
Injury: Right shoulder impingement.
Status: 60-day injured list since April 5.
Missed games: 46.
The latest: Ridings still hasn’t resume throwing, but surgery isn’t on the table at this point, Boone said on Saturday.
* * *
BEN RORTVEDT, C
Injury: Partially torn meniscus in left knee.
Status: 60-day injured list since April 7.
Missed games: 46.
The latest: Rortvedt underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on May 17 and was in the Yankees clubhouse walking without crutches on Friday. He hopes to be back playing sometime in July.
Update from Boone on May 28: “Benny is doing pretty well. He’s still in the fairly early stages (of recovering). He’s walking and doing his rehab stuff. Hopefully he’ll start some baseball activities potentially (this) week.”
* * *
GIANCARLO STANTON, OF/DH
Injury: Right ankle inflammation.
Status: 10-day injured list since May 25.
Missed games: 4.
The latest: Stanton has been improving by the day and he took some BP on Friday at Yankee Stadium. He’s expected to come off the IL when he’s first eligible June 2.
Update from Boone on May 27: “I think we avoided a situation there, so that’s encouraging. These last couple of days have been good.”
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Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected].
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