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Yankees Place DJ LeMahieu On 10-Day IL

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AUG. 17: The Yankees expect LeMahieu to miss two to three weeks, manager Aaron Boone told Hoch and other reporters.

AUG. 16, 3:05pm: LeMahieu will receive a second opinion on his hand tomorrow, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, who adds that LeMahieu will visit the same specialist who treated him for a similar injury in 2018. As of now, there’s no timetable for LeMahieu’s return, though the Yankees are confident that the sprain will not require surgery.

11:34am: The Yankees announced they’ve placed DJ LeMahieu on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain. Miguel Andújar has been recalled from the alternate training site to replace him on the active roster.

LeMahieu was removed from last night’s game against the Red Sox. While x-rays came back negative, manager Aaron Boone acknowledged then an IL stint was a possibility. That’s evidently come to pass. LeMahieu has been a big part of the Yankees’ AL East leading 14-6 start. He’s hitting .411/.456/.534 (177 wRC+) over 79 plate appearances, more than doubling down on his breakout 2019 season, in which he hit .327/.375/.518 en route to a 4th-place finish in AL MVP balloting.

The Yankees didn’t announce a timetable for his potential return, but the hope is today’s move is merely out of an abundance of caution. After all, New York sits in prime postseason position already and surely wants LeMahieu at full strength for the stretch run. An impending free agent, the 32-year-old no doubt is targeting a healthy, productive finish to the season himself.

Andújar was seemingly a victim of a roster crunch when he was optioned ten days ago. The 25-year-old was highly productive as a rookie (at least offensively) in 2018, but he’s since been passed at the hot corner through little fault of his own by Gio Urshela. It’s seemingly still questionable whether he’ll find everyday run, given that he won’t be seen as an option to replace LeMahieu at the keystone. That role figures to be handled by Tyler Wade and/or Thairo Estrada.

Yankees Activate Aroldis Chapman, Designate David Hale

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The Yankees announced Monday that they’ve reinstated closer Aroldis Chapman from the injured list and designated right-hander David Hale for assignment in order to create roster space.

Chapman is expected to step back into the closer’s role, pushing fellow southpaw Zack Britton back into a setup role. Chapman has yet to pitch this season after testing positive for the coronavirus in mid-July. He was cleared to resume baseball activities back on July 31, though, and has since been working to build up to game readiness. His return should only deepen an already formidable late-inning relief corps; Britton has allowed just one run through 8 1/3 frames while racking up eight saves. And Chapman himself is fresh off a 2.21 ERA and 13.4 K/9 through 57 innings last season.

Fans can be forgiven if they’ve lost track of how many times the Yankees have designated Hale for assignment at this point. The 32-year-old righty continues to post sharp numbers for the Yanks — he allowed two runs in six innings this season — but has been designated for assignment an astonishing four times in the past three years in addition to being outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster in the 2018-19 offseason. Hale has signed five minor league contracts with the Yankees since 2018.

For all the times he’s been cast aside by the Yankees, Hale keeps coming back and keeps pitching well. In 54 1/3 frames wearing Yankee pinstripes, Hale owns a 2.98 ERA and 3.54 FIP with averages of 6.0 strikeouts, 1.8 walks and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings pitched. The righty generates grounders at an above-average rate and has proven plenty capable of pitching multi-inning stints, so another club in need of some length in the bullpen or depth in the rotation could conceivably take a look.

The Yankees will have a week to trade Hale, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

Injury Notes: Alvarez, Pham, Franmil, Judge

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Yordan Alvarez was a late scratch from today’s Astros lineup, as the young slugger continues to battle knee issues.  Manager Dusty Baker told the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome and other reporters that Alvarez arrived at the ballpark feeling knee soreness, which Baker suspected was from an awkward slide into third base during Saturday’s game.  Alvarez has been dealing with bad knees throughout his young career, and he has already been limited to DH duty for this season.

Since past tests haven’t revealed any structural problems, it could be that Alvarez’s knees could simply limit him going forward, perhaps both in 2020 and beyond.  It certainly isn’t what you want to see from a 23-year-old player, especially one who has been so productive even amidst this knee pain, and Baker acknowledged that the team will keep a close eye on managing Alvarez for the rest of the season.

More on some of the many injury situations popping up on a daily basis around baseball…

  • Tommy Pham was removed during a ninth-inning at-bat during today’s Padres/Diamondbacks game.  Pham was seemingly favoring his hand after hitting a foul ball, and left after a consultation with a team trainer.  This is the second straight game Pham has left early, as he was removed during the second inning of Saturday’s contest due to cramping in both calves.  However, he was back in today’s starting lineup as the DH and didn’t seem any worse for wear, going 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. [UPDATE: the Padres are worried Pham has a broken hamate bone, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.]
  • Franmil Reyes hit two home runs during the Indians’ 8-5 victory over the Tigers today, though Reyes’ big day had a painful ending after he was hit in the left hand by a pitch during a ninth-inning plate appearance.  Reyes was removed from the game, though he was diagnosed with only a contusion after x-rays were negative.  It seems likely Reyes will miss a game or two, though an injured list placement doesn’t seem likely at this point.  Reyes has been one of the few highlights for a struggling Cleveland lineup, as Reyes has hit .316/.366/.553 with five home runs.
  • Aaron Judge’s 10-day IL stint may be a minimal one, as the Yankees star told Newsday’s Roger Rubin and other media that he is already recovered from his minor calf strain just two days after his placement.  “I was begging for just a couple days…and I don’t need 10 days to be feeling good.  I already feel 100 percent now,” Judge said.  While Judge is “frustrated with myself not being out there,” he “wouldn’t say I’m frustrated with the organization.  This shows how much the organization cares for me and looks out for my well-being.”  Given how much time Judge (and other Yankees players) have missed due to injury in recent years, it makes sense that the club would be as cautious as possible in making sure a seemingly minor injury didn’t blossom into a bigger issue.

Yankees Plan To Activate Aroldis Chapman Monday

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The Yankees intend to activate closer Aroldis Chapman tomorrow, according to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. Chapman has yet to pitch for the Yankees this year after a positive COVID-19 test during Spring Training 2.0.

Chapman originally went on the injured list on July 11, so it’s clearly taken a bit of time for him to not only get healthy, but also ramp back up into the swing of things.

Nonetheless, he’ll be a key addition to the back end of the Yankee bullpen, which has relied primarily upon Zack Britton in save situations through the first 20 games. Even with Chapman on the sidelines, Yankee relievers have been as dominant as expected, with Britton, Chad Green, and Adam Ottavino anchoring the unit. Unfortunately, they now find themselves without Tommy Kahnle, who underwent Tommy John surgery nearly two weeks ago.

The 32-year-old Chapman will embark on the first season of the $48MM extension he inked with the Yankees last winter. The shortened season means he will only earn a prorated version of his nominal $16MM salary.

Chapman, though perhaps slightly more worldly than he was when he broke into the Majors in 2010, is still one of the most dominant arms in baseball. Last year, he pitched to the tune of a 2.21 ERA while striking out 85 batters in 57 innings of work. And though his fastball averages a meager 98.2 mph these days, expect more of the same dominance when he makes his return to the mound in the coming days.

DJ LeMahieu Leaves Game Due To Thumb Sprain

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9:28PM: LeMahieu is undergoing an MRI and CT scan but x-rays were negative on his thumb, Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters.  The injured list “could be” a possibility, Boone said.

8:28PM: Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu left tonight’s game due to what the team announced as a sprained left thumb.  LeMahieu will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury.

The injury seemed to occur during a fourth-inning at-bat, as LeMahieu was visited by trainers after swinging at a Nathan Eovaldi pitch.  LeMahieu finished his plate appearance and then played second base in the top of the fifth, though not before another on-field visit from trainers and manager Aaron Boone.  LeMahieu finished the inning but Tyler Wade replaced him at the keystone in the sixth inning.

After an injury-plagued 2019 season, the Yankees have again been hit with several notable health problems this season, including with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton currently sidelined.  Losing LeMahieu would be another significant blow, as the second baseman entered Saturday’s action with a .429/.474/.557 slash line over his first 76 plate appearances.  Leading the AL in batting average, OBP, and hits thus far, LeMahieu is on pace to top even his outstanding numbers from his 2019 debut season in the Bronx.

Wade and Thairo Estrada would be the top choices at second base if LeMahieu is out, plus veteran infielder Matt Duffy is at the Yankees’ alternate training site.  While it’s too early to know whether LeMahieu will even require an IL placement let alone miss significant time, the lack of second base depth represents a potential area of focus for New York at the trade deadline should LeMahieu indeed face any sort of extended absence.

Yankees Place Aaron Judge On IL

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The Yankees have decided to place outfielder Aaron Judge on the injured list, manager Aaron Boone announced to reporters including Erik Boland of Newsday (via Twitter). He’s dealing with a mild calf strain.

Boone made clear that this is only a precautionary move. While the injury is said to be merely a grade 1 strain, if that, the team is exercising ample caution with its star slugger.

Yankees fans will be forgiven for fostering greater concern than the skipper himself let on. Judge hasn’t topped five hundred plate appearances in a season since his mammoth 2017 rookie year, owing to a series of health issues.

It’s much the same situation with fellow middle-of-the-order centerpiece Giancarlo Stanton. He’s also sidelined with what’s hoped to be a mild leg muscle issue, but comes with the same sort of worrisome background. In their absence, former top prospect Clint Frazier could get a window to prove himself.

Pirates Claim Nick Tropeano

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The Pirates announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Nick Tropeano off waivers from the Yankees, who had designated him for assignment over the weekend. Tropeano has been optioned to the Pirates’ alternate training site.

Tropeano, 30 this month, has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, compiling a 4.51 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.57 HR/9. He was at one point a fairly well-regarded prospect in the Astros and Angels organizations, but injuries have slowed his career. Tropeanos had Tommy John surgery that cost him all of the 2017 season, and he has since battled shoulder and elbow troubles that have limited him to 182 innings between the minors and big leagues.

Last season, Tropeano was hit hard in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League , posting a 5.87 ERA in 79 2/3 frames. Offense was elevated in that already hitter-friendly league, however, just as it was in the Majors thanks to alterations to the ball’s composition. Prior to last year’s ugly results, Tropeano had a career 3.67 ERA in 223 Triple-A frames. He’ll give the Bucs some depth for their rotation and a possible long relief option.

Yankees Recall Clint Frazier

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With Giancarlo Stanton sidelined, the Yankees have recalled young outfielder Clint Frazier. He had been on optional assignment at the team’s alternate training site.

While hardly a surprising move under the circumstances, it’s a notable moment for team and player. Soon to turn 26, Frazier has long seemed ready for extended MLB action but has not yet received a full shot with the power-packed Bronx Bombers.

Given the timing of the move, Frazier obviously won’t have a chance to accrue a full year of MLB service. He’s likely to stay up long enough to push past the line into two full seasons, at least, and may log enough to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two in the ensuing offseason.

Frazier did take 246 plate appearances last year at the MLB level. The former top prospect turned in a .267/.317/.489 slash with a dozen long balls — good but not world-beating production from a bat-first player.

The question remains whether Frazier can carve out a permanent role in New York. If not, and if Stanton is able to return to health, this could end up functioning as an audition for a potential trade.

Latest On Giancarlo Stanton

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The Yankees got some promising news on sidelined slugger Giancarlo Stanton. The burly outfielder was diagnosed with a relatively mild grade 1 hamstring strain, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).

With little reason to push Stanton now, the front-running Yanks already placed him on the injured list. He’ll no doubt be sidelined longer than the requisite ten days. But there’s now at least cause for hope that he can make it back to the roster in time to contribute down the stretch and into the postseason.

Stanton, 30, had turned in a resurgent effort at the plate in the early going. After missing the bulk of 2019, he was turning heads with a .293/.453/.585 batting line through 14 games this year. Better still, he had drawn ten walks to go with 11 strikeouts, a marked turnaround from the strikeout concerns that had cropped up since Stanton arrived in New York.

Now it’s back to the trainer’s room for a player who has been no stranger to it. Stanton has had prior hamstring issues, though that wasn’t among the particular problem areas that kept him off the field in 2020.

Quick Hits: Yankees, Chapman, Rays, Morton, Nationals, Rizzo, Martinez

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The New York Yankees will make a decision about Aroldis Chapman’s timeline to return to action after a throwing session on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Marly Rivera. Chapman has yet to make an appearance this season. He tested positive for COVID-19 back on July 11th after showing mild symptoms. Chapman has been working his way back to full strength and hopes to return to the back end of the Yanks bullpen shortly. Last season, Chapman put together another top-notch campaign with 37 saves in 60 games and a 2.21 ERA/2.28 FIP while striking out 13.4 batters per nine innings.

  • Charlie Morton of the Tampa Bay Rays left his start today with right shoulder inflammation, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com. The Rays do not appear to be overly concerned about Morton in the long-term. The 36-year-old hasn’t gotten off to a great start with a 5.52 ERA across three starts, though it’s obviously s small sample, and a 4.06 FIP isn’t quite so pessimistic of his performance.
  • The Washington Nationals aren’t any closer to coming to terms on an extension either for manager Dave Martinez or GM Mike Rizzo, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter links). Both are in the final year of their current deals. The Nationals have proven a fairly conservative organization and one that won’t budge due to public perception. For their parts, both Martinez and Rizzo appear to have great trust in the organization. Given that the Nats are coming off a World Series championship, it’s hard to imagine either man moving on. Rizzo is the longstanding architect of these Nats – one of the most sustainable contenders of the last decade – while Martinez is the culture of the club in its current iteration. He has both the respect and the admiration of his players, by all accounts. This is pure conjecture, but Nats ownership may be taking a principled stance by waiting on these extensions. They’ve routinely let star players play out the final seasons of their deals, and it shows some organizational continuity to do the same with Rizzo and Martinez.
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