Matt Carpenter was putting together a comeback season for the ages with the Yankees, hitting .305/.412/.727 with 15 home runs in 154 plate appearances before suffering a broken bone when fouling a ball into his foot. The foot fracture didn’t require surgery, but the timing of the injury placed Carpenter’s season in jeopardy. Manager Aaron Boone said yesterday that the Yankees are now hopeful that the 36-year-old Carpenter will be able to return for the final series of the regular season (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). It’s not a given, but it’d be a nice bonus for both the Yankees and Carpenter himself to get a look at his swing in a game setting before the postseason rolls around.
A couple more injury updates from around the game…
- The Twins added another name to their ever-growing list of season-ending injuries, as outfielder Trevor Larnach will not return before the end of the 2022 season, per Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Larnach underwent core muscle surgery early in the summer and was all but finished with a rehab assignment last week, when he sustained a wrist injury during one of the final plate appearances of his rehab assignment. The 25-year-old tells Miller that he wasn’t even able to hold a bat the day after incurring the injury. Larnach got out to a solid start in 2022, hitting .258/.331/.477 with five homers and 13 doubles through his first 145 plate appearances. He collected just four hits in 35 plate appearances before undergoing surgery, however, and now won’t return to the field this year. Larnach and teammate Alex Kirilloff are both former first-rounders who’ve been touted among the game’s 50 best prospects at multiple points in the past, but injuries have prevented them from establishing themselves as lineup fixtures at Target Field.
- Left-hander Steven Brault’s shoulder hasn’t responded as hoped during his minor league rehab assignment, Cubs skipper David Ross said yesterday (via Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, on Twitter). He’s headed back to Chicago to be further evaluated and won’t return to the mound this season. The longtime Pirates lefty originally inked a Major League deal with the Cubs in the offseason but had it restructured as a minor league contract due to an injury setback. The 30-year-old Brault didn’t pitch, even in the minors, until July 1 this season. He made his way to the big league roster two weeks later and tossed nine innings with a 3.00 ERA and an 8-to-5 K/BB ratio before a shoulder strain sent him back to the injured list in mid-August. Brault also missed significant time in 2019 due to a shoulder strain and missed much of the 2021 campaign due to a lat strain. Brault will be a free agent at season’s end.
Would love to have Carpenter’s bat back for the playoffs!!! Maybe he’ll be the Kyle Schwarber of this year. Who’s spot does he take?
Hicks, hopefully.
It’s gotten so bad with Hicks I heard Boone may even take his spot.
That final series would be a great spot for Carpenter. It’s against the Rangers in Arlington, minutes from his home town of Fort Worth.
Possibility they’ll DFA Chapman.
Hopefully he will be getting another tattoo soon so expect him to be out.
Carp’s resurgence is a great story, and there’s no question his absence creates a huge hole in a lineup that could desperately use another LH bat with his production line with the Yanks.
Regarding Monday’s game, I am curious, why in the world did we pitch to Vlad? They walked Judge…why would we pitch to their *best hitter* when we need one game to clinch, and put the Jays back another game? Boone’s decision-making drives me insane (unless I’m missing something).
But, this is the difference between this team and the ‘98 Yankees. That peak dynastic team wanted to win *every game* whereas we don’t mind giving losses up here, there, and apparently everywhere.
BTW, and much, much more importantly, people of Florida in our thoughts today with the hurricane (Ian) tracking towards their coast. Hopefully it turns out relatively uneventful. Last thing the Charlotte area needs is another Charlie. Hope & pray everyone in Florida stays safe.
You threw me on the Charlotte Florida reference. Living in NC, I automatically go to Charlotte NC whenever Charlotte is mentioned. But absolutely, prayers for Fla.
Think he meant Port Charlotte
I did mean Port Charlotte, sorry Joe. NC is beautiful. I would move there but too many NYers have ruined it! Lol
There’s no place I’d rather be than NC’s Outer Banks.
I love the Outer Banks. Went there a couple of times when I lived in Va. in the ’70’s. Stayed on Ocracoke, both times, camping once, and a B&B the 2nd time. If I ever moved back to the east coast, I’d consider the Outer Banks.
I think I’d move to the mountains, Joe, but my close second would be the outer banks. I just enjoy the mountain woods/roads too much. I really like the solitude…
Brault was no good in the Burgh trust me Chicago I know.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Steven Brault time of 9 innings with the Chicago Cubs. I hope they resign him and maybe he can get in a whole 10 innings next year.
Matt Carpenter, the comeback player of the year is coming back again!!
Two time comeback player of the year in the same year!
Article Correction: Brault is under team control via arbitration for 2023, if the Cubs want to retain him.
I feel bad for Brault as he has had an injury riddled career.
I think that he has been a better than average pitcher but who never really had his chance to maximize his ability.
He also has been a pretty good hitter who could be used in specific pinch hitting situations before the DH.
I hope that he gets a ML contract and finds a good place for him next year.
If Carpenter can get back to hitting like he was, I’d rather see him at DH than Stanton, who’s been awful since returning from the IL
I also have to mention Hicks. He was instrumental in tonight’s win, particularly with some stellar defense. It was mentioned during the broadcast that he leads the league in pitches per plate appearance, but I don’t know where those stats are being hidden. In his last 7 games, he’s batting .364 with a .391 OBP.
He’s been bad all year — but if he gets hot at the right time, all’s forgiven as far as I’m concerned.