Yankees Place DJ LeMahieu On Injured List
The Yankees are placing infielder DJ LeMahieu on the injured list with a sports hernia, according to manager Aaron Boone, as relayed by several reporters, including Marly Rivera of ESPN. LeMahieu last played September 30th, missing the past few games with the injury, meaning the soonest he could return to the club would be if they qualified for the ALCS. Right-handed pitcher Luis Gil is taking his spot on the active roster.
This is very unfortunate timing for the Yankees, as they are currently trying to wriggle out of a four-team logjam for the two American League Wild Card spots. They and the Red Sox are going into the final scheduled day of the season just one game ahead of the Blue Jays and Mariners in the standings. With the potential for various one-game tiebreakers and then the Wild Card game itself, each team will be taking an all-hands-on-deck approach in order to survive. Boone says, as relayed by Rivera in a separate tweet, that LeMahieu worked out today before the very late decision was made. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com quotes Boone as saying LeMahieu is “too compromised” to play right now.
It’s been a disappointing season for the 33-year-old, perhaps because of the injury. In his first Yankees contract, over 2019 and 2020, LeMahieu hit an excellent .336/.386/.536, which amounts to a wRC+ of 146, all while having the versatility of playing multiple positions around the infield. On the heels of that excellent performance, the Yankees re-signed LeMahieu to a six-year, $90MM contract in the most recent offseason. Unfortunately, the first year of the deal has seen LeMahieu’s production drop off to a line of .268/.349/.362, a wRC+ of 100. Nevertheless, that league-average production being put on the shelf is still a loss for the club. Rougned Odor is slotting into third base for the Yanks today, and he has a 2021 slash line of .201/.286/.379, wRC+ of just 82.
As for Gil, he adds another arm to the Yankees’ stable at a time when they might need a lot of them over the next few days. In six starts at the big league level this year, he’s logged 29 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.07. He’s likely to be used as a long-relief option, though, as Jameson Taillon is starting today’s game, with Gerrit Cole the planned starter for whatever game the Yankees play next, be that some kind of tie-breaker or the Wild Card game.
Yankees Recall Andrew Velazquez, Option Albert Abreu
The Yankees have recalled Andrew Velazquez and put him right into the starting lineup at shortstop. In a corresponding roster move, right-hander Albert Abreu was optioned to Triple-A, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter).
Velazquez’s return to the lineup provided the Yankees with some infield insurance over these final two games while DJ LeMahieu deals with a sports hernia. LeMahieu had a cortisone injection, but the hernia will require further treatment in the offseason, per The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler (via Twitter).
The Yankees have had to cover at shortstop since finally moving Gleyber Torres off the position. Gio Urshela has taken the bulk of the snaps at short, but Velazquez can share the burden. The 27-year-old former Ray has a .234/.246/.375 triple slash line over 65 plate appearances.
Abreu has a 5.15 ERA/5.89 FIP in 28 appearances out of the pen covering 36 2/3 innings. The overall run prevention numbers aren’t great, but the 26-year-old has contributed as a multi-inning arm capable of eating innings. Abreu 2/3 innings yesterday in his first appearance in almost two weeks.
Yankees Place Luke Voit On Injured List
The Yankees announced that first baseman Luke Voit is landing back on the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation. Reliever Albert Abreu is up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his active roster spot.
Voit has been plagued by injuries for much of this season, with the left knee particularly problematic. He began the year on the IL after tearing the meniscus in the area. That initial stint cost him the first five weeks of the year, and he missed three weeks between July and August due to recurring inflammation. (Voit also missed time in May and June because of an oblique strain).
The series of health issues limited Voit to 241 plate appearances in a regular season that has now officially been brought to a close. His .239/.328/.437 line still checks in around 12 percentage points above league average by measure of wRC+, but it’s a significant drop-off from Voit’s first few seasons in pinstripes. The slugger entered this season with a .279/.372/.543 mark in 892 plate appearances as a Yankee, including a .277/.338/.610 line with a league-best 22 home runs in last year’s shortened season.
It seems likely the persistent health troubles impacted Voit’s productivity even when he was well enough to take the field. New York acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs at the trade deadline to help cover for Voit’s health question marks, but the front office will need to decide how comfortable they are in Voit’s ability to return to his prior form moving forward. Rizzo is slated to hit free agency this offseason, while Voit will be entering his second of four years of arbitration eligibility. Whether the Yankees are comfortable enough with Voit’s knee to allow Rizzo to sign elsewhere remains to be seen.
In the interim, the Yankees will continue to pencil Rizzo in at first base with Giancarlo Stanton serving as the primary designated hitter. New York enters play tonight one game up on the Red Sox for the top Wild Card spot in the American League, a game and a half clear of the Mariners (the closest team just outside the current playoff picture). The Yankees didn’t provide a timetable for Voit’s return, so it’s possible he makes it back at some point during a potential playoff run. To give him that opportunity, the club will need to lock down a postseason spot and win the Wild Card game without his contributions.
Yankees Option Andrew Heaney
The Yankees announced they’ve reinstated Jonathan Loáisiga from the 10-day injured list. To open space on the active roster, New York optioned Andrew Heaney to their rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate.
This surely isn’t the result New York envisioned when they acquired Heaney just before this summer’s trade deadline. Heaney owned just a 5.27 ERA at the time, but the Yankees bet that his high-end strikeout and walk rates (28.2% and 7.7%, respectively) would translate into stronger future results.
That hasn’t yet proven to be the case. Heaney was installed into the Yankees’ rotation over the first month after the trade, but he was tagged for 18 runs in 26 innings, largely thanks to a staggering nine home runs allowed. New York moved him into the bullpen after that rough start, but he’s been even less effective in that new role. Over seven relief outings, the southpaw has served up eleven runs in 9 2/3 frames, including four more long balls. Heaney has actually continued to post decent strikeout and walk numbers in pinstripes, but he’s been so homer-prone that hasn’t mattered.
It’s an especially inopportune time for Heaney to post arguably the worst season of his career. He’ll hit free agency for the first time this winter, coming off a campaign in which he’s tossed 129 2/3 innings of 5.83 ERA ball between Anaheim and the Bronx. He’ll present a rather difficult evaluation for teams. Because of his strong strikeout and walk rates, Heaney’s SIERA remains quite good (3.83). Of the 122 pitchers with 100+ innings, only four have a worse home run rate than Heaney’s 2.01 HR/9, though, and his second half struggles became significant enough the Yankees have bumped him from the active roster for a few of their most important games of the year.
Heaney has more than five years of major league service time, meaning he could not be optioned without consenting to a minor league assignment. Presumably, the Yankees offered him the choice of agreeing to the option or being designated for assignment (which almost certainly would’ve resulted in him being released). Rather than refuse the assignment and be cut from the organization altogether, he’ll head to the complex in hopes of straightening things out. He remains on the 40-man roster and could still be a depth option should the Yankees qualify for the postseason.
Loáisiga will try to help the Yankees get to the playoffs, as he returns after a three-week absence due to a shoulder strain. He has been among the club’s most effective relievers this season, tossing 68 frames of 2.25 ERA ball. The Yankees have reeled off seven consecutive wins to put themselves in great position to land a spot in the AL Wild Card game, but they’ll need to at least take a game or two in their final couple series with the Blue Jays and Rays to feel completely comfortable about their chances of nailing that berth down.
Injury Notes: Cousins, Andrus, Loaisiga, Taillon, Cisnero
The Brewers placed righty Jake Cousins on the 10-day injured list due to a right biceps strain, as right-hander Miguel Sanchez was called up from Triple-A to take Cousins’ spot on the active roster. Speaking with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters, Brewers GM Matt Arnold described Cousins’ injury as “nothing major,” adding that “We just want to be careful. It’s that time of year where we want to make sure he’s available in a playoff capacity.”
Considering that Cousins didn’t even make his MLB debut until June 21, his status as a potential postseason weapon is a sign of how well he has performed during his rookie season. Cousins has a 2.70 ERA over 30 relief innings, along with an eye-popping 35.2% strikeout rate — not far off his minor league numbers since joining the Milwaukee organization in 2019. While Cousins’ control hasn’t been nearly as impressive (15.2% walk rate), opponents haven’t been able to take much advantage, as Cousins has been carving up batters with his wipeout slider.
More on other injury situations around baseball…
- While scoring the game-winning run in the Athletics‘ 2-1 walkoff win over the Astros today, Elvis Andrus suffered a left ankle injury and had to be helped off the field. A’s manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos and other reporters that Andrus is getting x-rays after “feeling a pop” in his ankle. More will be known after Andrus has been tested, but it certainly looks like the 33-year-old’s season could be over, as the shortstop could be facing a serious injury. It has been a tough year overall for Andrus, as he has hit only .243/.294/.320 over 541 plate appearances in his first season in Oakland.
- The Yankees could have Jonathan Loaisiga and Jameson Taillon back from the injured list during the club’s upcoming series against the Blue Jays, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including ESPN’s Marly Rivera and Newsday’s Erik Boland). Loaisiga was sidelined on September 5 with a strained right rotator cuff, but the reliever has already thrown one bullpen session and will throw another soon, Boone said. Taillon has missed close to the game amount of time with an ankle injury, though he has been on a minor league rehab assignment and threw a bullpen today.
- Jose Cisnero‘s IL stint has lasted beyond the minimum 10 days, and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) that while Cisnero hasn’t yet been shut down, a return this season is “improbable.” Cisnero has been hampered by swelling around the right elbow laceration that first sent him to the injured list back on September 14. If this is it for the right-hander in 2021, Cisnero will finish with a 3.65 ERA over 61 2/3 innings, marking his third consecutive year of solid work out of Detroit’s bullpen.
Yankees Activate Domingo German; Jameson Taillon Begins Rehab Assignment
The Yankees have reinstated right-hander Domingo Germán from the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Estevan Florial was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. Additionally, New York announced that Jameson Taillon will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Scranton this evening.
Germán returns after missing nearly two months due to shoulder inflammation. He’d been a reliable back-of-the-rotation option for the Yankees over the season’s first few months, tossing 97 innings of 4.45 ERA ball over 21 appearances (including 18 starts). The 29-year-old has posted solid strikeout and walk numbers, contributing to a more appealing 4.02 SIERA, but he’s been a little too prone to the home run ball.
While Germán served almost exclusively as a starter earlier this year, he seems likely to work from the bullpen for the stretch run. With the regular season dwindling, the Yankees sent Germán on a rather brief rehab assignment in which he made two appearances with the RailRiders. He topped out at 35 pitches in his last outing, so he seems likely to occupy a similar multi-inning relief role to the one Luis Severino took on last night.
Taillon has only been away from the club for two weeks because of a partially torn tendon in his right ankle. Given that shorter absence, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s back in the majors after a lone rehab start. Acquired from the Pirates over the offseason, Taillon has a 4.41 ERA/4.29 SIERA in his first year in the Bronx.
The Yankees enter play tonight half a game back in a jam-packed American League Wild Card race. After tonight’s series finale against the Rangers, they’ll play road series against the two clubs directly ahead of them in standings — the Red Sox and Blue Jays — before closing out the year at home against a Rays team that looks likely to have clinched the AL East by that point.
Yankees Activate Luis Severino, Release Sal Romano
The Yankees announced Monday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Luis Severino from the 60-day injured list and cleared a spot on the 40-man roster by releasing right-hander Sal Romano.
Severino, 27, will make his return to a big league mound for the first time in nearly two years. His last regular-season appearance for the Yankees came back on Sept. 28, 2019. He hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since his Game 3 start against the Astros in that year’s ALCS. Severino underwent Tommy John surgery in Feb. 2020, and his return has been delayed in 2021 by setbacks throughout the recovery process, namely some shoulder and groin injuries.
Even including Severino’s postseason work in 2019, he’s pitched just 20 1/3 innings for the Yankees since Opening Day of that season. He missed nearly the entire 2019 campaign due to shoulder and lat strains, and his 2020 season was wiped out entirely by the aforementioned Tommy John procedure. It’s obviously not how the Yankees drew things up when signing Severino to a four-year, $40MM contract extension in Feb. 2019. That contract spanned the 2019-22 campaigns and gives the Yankees a $15MM club option for a fifth season.
Manager Aaron Boone suggested over the weekend that Severino’s return was imminent. However, the two-time All-Star and 2017 third-place finisher in American League Cy Young voting won’t return to the Yankees’ rotation this year. Severino did not have time to build up to the point where he could work as a starter, so he’ll work as a reliever down the stretch, perhaps being called upon for two- or three-inning stints.
Moving forward, there’s little doubt the Yankees hope to reinstall Severino near the top of their rotation. It’s been three years since we last saw a full season from Severino, but he’s among the best starters in the American League when healthy. From 2017-18, Severino logged 384 2/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA, an impressive 28.8 percent strikeout rate and a similarly excellent 6.2 percent walk rate.
Assuming Severino’s injury troubles are behind him, he’ll join Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon and Domingo German as the top rotation options for the Yankees in 2022. Prospects Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Medina and Ken Waldichuk are among the top options in the upper minors, and it’s of course possible that the Yankees will make an offseason move or two in an effort to deepen and strengthen their collection of MLB-caliber arms.
For Romano, today’s release marks the latest in a dizzying stretch of transactions this season. Since beginning the year with the Reds organization — where he was originally drafted and developed — his transaction log reads as followed:
- May 14: Designated for assignment by Reds
- May 17: Elects free agency
- May 22: Signs minor league deal with Yankees
- July 22: Selected to MLB roster by Yankees
- July 31: Designated for assignment by Yankees
- Aug. 3: Claimed off waivers by Brewers
- Aug. 10: Designated for assignment by Brewers
- Aug. 13: Elects free agency
- Aug. 14: Signs minor league deal with Yankees
- Sept. 9: Selected to MLB roster by Yankees
- Sept. 10: Designated for assignment by Yankees
- Sept. 13: Elects free agency
- Sept. 14: Signs Major League deal with Yankees
- Sept. 17: Placed on 10-day injured list (sprained finger)
- Sept. 20: Released by Yankees
Romano has allowed a pair of runs in 3 1/3 innings with the Yankees this year and has been tagged for a 6.12 ERA on the season overall between Cincinnati, Milwaukee and New York. Romano has had a nice season in Triple-A and had some success as a rookie with Cincinnati back in 2017, but it’s begun to feel as though he’s spent nearly as much time in DFA limbo and minor league free agency this season as he has as an active member of an organization’s MLB or Triple-A roster. He’s gotten service time and big league pay for all of the time spent in the Majors and in DFA limbo, but the manner in which he’s been pinballed on and off MLB rosters has to be nevertheless frustrating.
Given that Romano was on the injured list at the time of his release, it remains to be seen whether he can get back to good enough health to return to the mound in 2021. If not, he’ll look for a more stable opportunity in free agency this winter.
Yankees Planning To Activate Luis Severino This Week
Luis Severino‘s return finally seems imminent, as Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler) that the team hopes to activate Severino from the injured list within the next few days. Severino will be used out of the bullpen, possibly pitching up to three innings at a time as a long man.
It has been a long road back for Severino, who hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since Game 3 of the 2019 ALCS. The 2019 season as a whole saw Severino limited to 20 1/3 total innings in the regular season and postseason due to lat and shoulder problems, and he hit another major roadblock when he underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the 2020 season. The TJ recovery process hasn’t been smooth, as Severino has also had to deal with a groin injury and some shoulder tightness during his rehab work this year.
Given Severino’s long absence, it could be unrealistic to expect an immediate resumption of his All-Star form from 2017-18. However, in short bursts coming out of the bullpen, Severino could be quite the weapon for Boone to utilize down the stretch or (the Yankees hope) into the playoffs. If Severino is able to pitch as many as three innings, he could effectively be an opener or a piggyback starter, thus allowing New York to forego a traditional starter once through the rotation.
Since August 28 (the date the Yankees’ 13-game win streak game to an end), New York relievers have combined for a 4.82 ERA, ranking 24th in the majors in that span. Jonathan Loaisiga has been arguably the best Yankee reliever this season, though he has been on the 10-day IL since September 5 due to strained rotator cuff and might be at least a week away from returning.
Injury Notes: Paddack, Snell, Hill, Gallo
It “seems more likely than not” that Blake Snell and Chris Paddack won’t pitch again for the Padres in 2021, sources tell Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. With just two weeks left in the regular season, time is running out for either pitcher to return from the 10-day injured list. Paddack was retroactively placed on the IL on September 12 due to right elbow inflammation, while a groin strain sidelined Snell on September 15.
Snell isn’t likely to pitch again unless San Diego is still playing into the postseason, while Paddack has some smaller chance of a quicker return, as he said his elbow felt fine after a game of catch yesterday. Still, Paddack was only throwing lightly from a 75-foot distance, so it remains to be seen if he can progress quickly enough to get back on the mound before the regular season is over. “Regardless of how [Paddack] is feeling the Padres almost certainly won’t even consider him pitching again in 2021 if they are not squarely in contention,” Acee writes, and that latter scenario is starting to look more remote. The reeling Padres are 5-10 in September, and have dropped 2.5 games behind the Cardinals for the last NL wild card slot.
More updates on injury situations from around the game…
- Tigers outfielder Derek Hill had to be helped off the field via a cart and a wheelchair after suffering a knee injury in yesterday’s 4-3 win over the Rays. Hill was trying to beat out a bunt grounder to first base, and seemed to hyper-extend his knee while colliding with Tampa first baseman Ji-Man Choi. While Hill was still being examined by team medical staff, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press) that an IL trip seems pretty inevitable for the 25-year-old. It seems as if Hill’s rookie season might well be over, after 49 games and 150 plate appearances that saw the 2014 first-round pick hit .259/.313/.388 with three home runs. Injuries have been a big factor in Hill’s season, as he missed time in two separate IL stints due to a left ribcage contusion and a right shoulder sprain.
- Joey Gallo left the Yankees‘ 11-3 loss to the Indians yesterday due to neck tightness, and is day-to-day. Gallo took one plate appearance before being replaced in left field prior to the start of the fourth inning. Manager Aaron Boone told The Associated Press and other media that Gallo was receiving treatment on his neck before the game, and “I think after his first at-bat, it was just barking too much on him.” While the injury seems pretty minor, the Yankees surely want one of their hottest bats back as quickly as possible to aid their pursuit of a wild card berth. Gallo got off to a slow start after being acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline, but has posted a 1.490 OPS and six home runs over his last 25 PA.
AL Roster Notes: Yankees, Rays, Angels, Rangers
The Yankees optioned Luis Gil to Triple-A after today’s ballgame, per the team. A corresponding move is likely to follow tomorrow. Gil started today’s game, an 11-3 loss to Cleveland. Though today’s outing ended poorly, Gil had given the Yanks five very strong starts. He logged a 2.88 ERA/3.96 FIP in 25 innings heading into today’s ballgame.
Let’s check in on some other roster moves made today around the Junior Circuit…
- The Rays optioned righty Joey Krehbiel to Triple-A today after making his Rays’ debut, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The move is likely a precursor to the call-up of top prospect Shane Baz, whose debut is scheduled for Monday. Krehbiel, 28, tossed a scoreless inning today, striking out two while walking one.
- The Angels demoted yesterday’s starter Jhonathan Diaz to Triple-A, recalling Cooper Criswell in his place, the team announced. Diaz made his Major League debut last night, giving up two earned runs on two hits and four walks while striking out two over 1 2/3 innings. Criswell made his own debut under similar circumstances earlier this year, giving up three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in his lone start on the year.
- The Rangers have sent Matt Bush out on a rehab assignment to Triple-A, per the team. Bush has been on the shelf since April 8 with a right elbow flexor strain. He made just three appearances in what had been his first big league action since 2018. The 35-year-old former first overall draft pick has 139 career appearances – all with the Rangers – and a 3.47 ERA/3.88 FIP over 140 career innings.