Somehow the Yankees got even more injured today. Gary Sanchez was placed on the injured list with a calf strain and Dellin Betances suffered a setback during yesterday’s simulated game. The Yankees have 12 players on the injured list — that includes five of their nine starting position players — and I count no more than four with a realistic chance to return this month. Everyone else is further away.
“It’s our reality right now. The bottom line is we feel like — unlike any other team, maybe — we are equipped to be able to still have success through this. That’s our expectations. It is next guy up,” Aaron Boone said this afternoon. “… Even though we’re in a little bit of a storm right now and have some adversity with these injuries, the expectation doesn’t change because the guys we still have in that room are capable of getting it done. That’s our focus.”
Ultimately, injuries are part of the game, and the Yankees have more resources to cover for those injuries than any other team. I mean, how many teams will field a lineup worse than what the Yankees are running out there tonight? Has to be at least half the league given how many teams are tanking. Well, whatever. Here are tonight’s lineups:
New York Yankees
1. CF Brett Gardner
2. RF Aaron Judge
3. DH Luke Voit
4. SS Gleyber Torres
5. 1B Greg Bird
6. 2B DJ LeMahieu
7. LF Clint Frazier
8. 3B Gio Urshela
9. C Austin Romine
LHP J.A. Happ
Chicago White Sox
1. RF Leury Garcia
2. SS Tim Anderson
3. 1B Jose Abreu
4. DH Yonder Alonso
5. 3B Yoan Moncada
6. LF Eloy Jimenez
7. C James McCann
8. 2B Jose Rondon
9. CF Adam Engel
RHP Lucas Giolito
As the headline says, it’s supposed to rain tonight. There are on-and-off showers in the forecast throughout the game window, and the heaviest stuff is supposed to arrive around 10pm ET. Once it arrives, it’s not supposed to stop raining until sometime tomorrow morning. Make sure you have a lead after five innings, guys. Tonight’s game will begin at 7:05pm ET and you can watch on WPIX. This is the first WPIX game of the season, right? I think so. Enjoy the game.
Injury Updates: Sanchez (calf) has a “slight” strain and the Yankees considered keeping him active this weekend (there’s an off-day Monday), but decided to play it safe with the injured list. He’ll be shut down this weekend and resume baseball activities Monday … Miguel Andujar (shoulder) swung a bat today for the first time since being placed on the injured list. He took 25 dry swings and 25 swings off a tee with 50% effort. Andujar also played light catch again. Throwing is the primary concern. Apparently the injury won’t impact his swing much … Giancarlo Stanton (biceps) hit off a tee and soft toss again today, and everything went well … Aaron Hicks (back) is close to ramping up his baseball activities. He’s hitting off a tee and soft toss right now, and could start hitting in the cage and on the field next week … Troy Tulowitzki (calf) took swings today and is feeling better. There’s no word yet on when he could be activated. He’s eligible to be activated Sunday, though that’s not going to happen.
Misc. Notes: CC Sabathia starts tomorrow and Masahiro Tanaka starts Sunday with an extra day of rest. That lines up James Paxton and J.A. Happ for the two-game Red Sox series next week. Domingo German is available out of the bullpen this weekend and will start the Royals series opener next Thursday … Boone indicated this afternoon that Joe Harvey will get a chance to carve out a role in the bullpen, though he might’ve been speaking in general. Who knows, maybe Harvey won’t be the guy sent down when Sabathia returns tomorrow.