Right-hander Chase Hampton was in camp with the Yankees as a non-roster invitee but isn’t present at the moment. Manager Aaron Boone tells members of the media, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that Hampton has a right flexor strain and “something going on in the UCL,” which has led the club to send him to New York for further testing.
It’s an ominous bit of news for the young righty, as the ulnar collateral ligament is the one repaired in Tommy John surgery. If it is determined that he will require some surgical work on his elbow, he’ll be looking at missing the 2025 season and part of 2026 as well.
Hampton, 23, isn’t likely to factor into the club’s short-term plans regardless. The Yankees have a crowded rotation as it is, with Marcus Stroman reportedly on the trade block as the club has Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The club also has JT Brubaker, Will Warren and others on the roster as depth. Hampton isn’t yet on the 40-man and hasn’t reached Triple-A yet, so he has a steep hill to climb to get to the majors.
Still, it wouldn’t be ideal for him to face a lengthy absence. One of the club’s top pitching prospects, injuries were also a big part of his 2024. Various ailments, including a flexor strain, limited him to 18 2/3 innings in the minors last year. That means a lengthy surgical recovery could lead to him pitching very little over the 2024-2026 seasons, a massive dent in what ideally would have been key development time.
Turning back to the big league rotation, Schmidt has an issue of his own, though it seems far more minor. Per Greg Joyce of The New York Post, Boone said that Schmidt has a “cranky back” but it seemingly won’t be a significant drag on him. He threw from flat ground today and will do so again on Friday. It’s a situation to monitor but doesn’t seem to be a big concern unless there’s a setback.
In the position player mix, outfielder Everson Pereira will be limited to designated hitter duties until the middle of March, per Hoch. The young outfielder underwent UCL surgery on his elbow in June. Position players can return from such procedures faster than pitchers but it seems he’s still going to be limited for the next few weeks.
One of the club’s top position player prospects in recent years, Pereira is “very much in the mix” for a roster spot, according to Boone. Pereira has only hit .151/.233/.194 in the majors so far, but in a small sample of 103 plate appearances. He has a much stronger line of .287/.365/.530 in his Triple-A career while playing all three outfield spots.
The Yankees project to have an outfield of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jasson Domínguez, with Trent Grisham on the bench. They will also need another bench spot for a backup catcher. The three-man competition for third base involving DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera could lead to two of those guys also taking up bench spots. That might squeeze out Pereira, especially since he’s reportedly eligible for a fourth option this year, but there are no guarantees that everyone will stay healthy over the next few weeks.
If Hampton needs surgery, might as well get it over with, it would be pointless to rehab it only for surgery to be needed anyway and would cause him to miss what 2 seasons?
The man is young but still, just get it over with and move on.
Did Marcus Stroman learn nothing about class and selflessness playing next to Aaron Judge?
@Rey
what inspired you to say this?
Marcus Stroman doesn’t believe in teamwork based on his recent comments.
First and foremost, I hope whatever the outcome, it’s best for the kid, but I think it’ll hurt the Yanks most as a lost trade chip. You always hear Hampton’s name mentioned in our little arm chair GM trades, and if we do, I’m pretty sure actual GM’s do as well. Still, speedy recovery!
It sounds like Jazz is definitely moving back to second, and they’ll start one of the three “contenders” at 3rd. Personally I’m pulling for DJ to turn it around. Cabrera is best playing as our utility guy as he has more overall range around the field.
id like to see DJ turn it around. The character attacks he has been subjected to seemed extreme to me. The guy was hurt and trying to play at the highest level known for gosh sakes.
Everson ‘Pereira’ is not an easy name for this white boy to say. “peh-RAY-rah” I think it is. I keep practicing.
On the YES broadcasts they always pronounced it puh-(rare)-uh, which is much easier.
BR has it as you do but usually the home broadcast has it right – especially someone as tuned into the team as Jack Curry.
Thank you! Great to know!
I just returned from spring training and so far DJL looks pretty good. He seems healthy and is moving around pretty good. My guess is he will be the starter at 3B and if he struggles they will cut bait around may. Cabrera will be utility and peraza will be traded. Periera also looked good early on in camp. I wouldnt be surprised if he gets a solid look this year.
i would like see DJ turn it around , he has a run of some bad injury luck that certainly was through no fault of his own. It’s not like he simply dogging it and not putting in the effort . He seems well liked by his teammates. When healthy he was as good a glove as more than most and a batting champ. Time will tell
I would..
BS At 3rd: Cashman fails again on 2 fronts:
leaving Stanton as sole DH knowing he’ll have his constant injuries. Plus he got no big bat at 3rd. which is needed. We are weaker w out Soto protecting Judge for a full season. No # 28 in ‘25. Hal S must clean out if that happens!
“something going on in the UCL” – with detail like that it’s no wonder they pay Boone millions.
exactly, Boone should have given a highly detailed lengthy description of the exact injury, its cause and its remedy / timeline BEFORE any doctor or specialist looks at it . Good grief