The Yankees will be without Tyler Austin for the majority of Spring Training after the 25-year-old suffered a small fracture in his left foot, manager Joe Girardi told reporters (Twitter link via Joel Sherman of the New York Post). Austin sustained the injury when he fouled a ball off his foot in batting practice yesterday. He’ll be in a walking boot for the next three weeks and will be shut down from all baseball activity for six weeks, Sherman adds.
For most of the offseason, the expectation surrounding Austin was that he would compete with Greg Bird for at bats at first base with the Yankees. Given Austin’s minor league experience in the corner outfield, he could’ve conceivably mixed in some occasional time in right field (where Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks are set to compete for the starting role). The signing of Chris Carter (another right-handed first base/DH candidate) certainly diminished Austin’s chances of making the roster, but the news of this injury seems to all but assure that he’ll head to the minors to open the regular season.
Austin made his Major League debut in 2016 and showed off plenty of power, hitting .241/.300/.458 with five homers and three doubles in just 90 plate appearances. He also struck out a troubling 36 times in that stretch, though, suggesting that his approach at the plate could still use some refinement. Austin is coming off an excellent season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he posted a combined .294/.392/.524 batting line and 17 homers in 444 plate appearances.
As MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweets, the Yankees will also be without Mason Williams for the next two weeks due to inflammation of his left patella tendon. Williams is a long shot to make the roster due to the presence of Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Hicks, Judge and Matt Holliday on the roster. He’s played in just 51 Triple-A games (plus 20 MLB contests) and has an option remaining, so further work in the minors seems likely.
Good thing they signed Carter.
Yeah a guy that struck out more than Austin and Judge combined.. good thing
He also lead the nl in home runs
Mason Williams is out too for the Yankees. Their injuries were announced minutes apart.
Too bad … seems that Mason Williams needs to be part of a strong package for an upcoming trade.
Maybe later – closer to trade deadline…..
.739 OPS in AAA, .611 in AA, and .692 in A+… If it’s a “strong package” for an upcoming trade, it’ll be despite him, not because of him. He may be a throw-in 4th or 5th piece at best at this point.
agreed.
Priggs stole my words. He’d be a 4th or 5th throw in piece (assuming he was dealt in a strong package)!
I would think the Yankees signed Carter because the Yankee brass simply didn’t think this young man was ready to start 2017 in the ML’s.
Scott Boras on the phone talking up Matt Wieter’s willingness to play first and outfield…
Matt Wieters in the outfield? Are you serious?
clearly was making a joke
Yes, thanks. A joke.
Issa joke
Was looking forward to him making it tough to get sent down. I feel he’s a starter very soon. Fantastic opposite field power. I truly believe he’s ahead of Judge right now. Really like this kid.
Don’t go out a limb there; Judge is lost against MLB pitching.
Dude the sample size says he’s lost?
The sample size on your comments say your lost also.
Right? The sample size actually says that judge struggles in the beginning but has adapted at every level in the minors. We’ll see what happens
The 3 teams I think should go after him are the White Sox Angles and Padres. The White Sox could use a veteran catcher to help their young pitchers. The Angles have Perez who is ok and Maldanado who they got in a questionable trade with the Brewers who sent away Bandy who is better in my opinion and the Padres because they have Hedges who still needs to develop and they are converting Bethincort to a jack of all trades kind of player and they took someone in the rule 5 draft so they have some questions at the catching position. I know the Nats have been connected to him for a while but with Norris Lobaton and Siverino and others already on their 40 man roster that can catch I don’t see him ending up there. So i see him ending up with the White Sox, Angles or Padres all of them being 1 year deals maybe 1 has some type of option for a second year but I see Weiters doing what Cespedes did last year.
These are all legitimate points about Tyler Austin’s injury.
Lol
Padres makes no sense for Wieters. It’s time for Hedges to play everyday. They have no need for a veteran with zero upside. And how can Wieters do anything similar to what Cespedes did? Cespedes is a star and Wieters is bad. Nobody wants Wieters.
Just stated yesterday – after some were complaining that Chris Carter was blocking Austin – “just be patient, it’s still early ST”
Something always happens to all teams.
Thats why we got that Reuban Tejada guy – “ya never know”
When has a foot fracture ever been only six weeks?
Science seems to be getting alot better ?
Tell that to Allen Craig.
…and Roger Craig, too !
I know a car won’t help, but I hope he gets an Austin Healing.
I see Wieters signing with the Nationals which would allow Washington to trade Severino and other prospects to the White Sox for David Robertson.
Spring training is the time we all feel optimistic about our teams and then the injuries start to come. Austin will find this as a missed opportunity and will have a hard time getting back to the majors this year.