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James Paxton Placed On 10-Day Injured List

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SUNDAY: Paxton will miss a maximum of three weeks, general manager Brian Cashman told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM on Sunday (Twitter links). His rotation spot will go to Loaisiga in the meantime.

SATURDAY: James Paxton has been placed on the 10-day IL, per the team (via Twitter). Jake Barrett will be recalled to take Paxton’s roster spot. While no MRI results have been released, Paxton expressed frustration more than concern when questioned about the pain in his left knee, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.

The move comes after the Yankee southpaw was pulled from his start yesterday after just three innings. Paxton’s velocity readings did dip a bit during a long third inning, though he still hit 95-96 in his final frame of action. There’s no reason at present to be particularly concerned, though it’s never great to see a key rotation piece leave with any kind of health concern. In Paxton’s case, he has had arm problems in recent years, though that’s not implicated here. The knee joint hasn’t been an issue of late, but it was noted as an issue during his amateur days.

Paxton’s main concern stems from the affect the knee was having on his mechanics. The discomfort was causing him to occasionally open up his motion early, shifting his weight off his back leg – which would certainly account for a dip in velocity. Paxton has been treating the knee with ice, laser treatments and range of motion exercises, and there’s no reason at this time to think Paxton would be unable to continue this strategy moving forward. It’s certainly something to monitor, as Paxton is a critical piece of the New York rotation, going 3-2 so far with a 3.11 ERA and 12.4 K/9.

The Yankees have awaited many an MRI this year, so this is a familiar position for the club. While the position-player side of the roster has been hit hardest, the team lost Luis Severino for a significant stretch and was already missing Tommy John rehabber Jordan Montgomery.

The depth has been up to the task thus far. Jonathan Loaisiga could still be called upon to fill in Paxton’s rotation spot, though Barrett joins the club for now. Barrett, 27, carries a career 4.03 ERA in 103 games with the Diamondbacks, though the most substantial chunk of that came in 68 appearances in 2016. That season, Barrett managed a 3.49 ERA (4.14 FIP) across 59 1/3 innings. He took a circuitous route to New York this winter. The Giants bought his contract from Arizona, but then lost him on waivers to the Pirates, who lost him to the Yankees. He does have an option remaining.

Troy Tulowitzki Suffers Setback

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  • Already out since April 3 because of a left calf strain, Yankees shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has suffered a setback and will be shut down for another week, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets. It’s the latest bad break for the once-great Tulowitzki, whom injuries have haunted throughout his career. The 34-year-old wasn’t healthy enough to participate in either of the previous two seasons, which led the Blue Jays to cut him over the winter and eat the remaining $38MM on his contract. Tulowitzki then found a taker in the Yankees on a league-minimum deal, with both parties hoping he’d stay healthy and adeptly fill in for the injured Didi Gregorius. The dice roll hasn’t paid off for the Yankees, who have received a meager 13 plate appearances from Tulowitzki and appear unlikely to get him back anytime soon.

Miguel Andujar Activated, Mike Ford Optioned

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TODAY: Andujar has indeed been activated from the 10-day IL, the Yankees PR Department announced today. To make room, 1B/DH Mike Ford was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Ford received 37 plate appearances in his first major league action, showing a good eye at the plate with an overall .179/.378/.321 line. The 26-year-old tore up Triple-A prior to his promotion to the tune of .410/.467/.897 with five home runs in only 39 at-bats.

May 3: Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar tells reporters including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter link) that he expects to be activated for tomorrow’s game. It’s not exactly a surprise at this point, but it still represents a notable bit of good health news for the Yanks.

Andujar was sidelined with a worrying shoulder injury just over a month ago. Despite initial concern that his labrum tear may require season-ending surgery, a rehabilitation approach seems to have been effective.

There are still some questions to be answered here. We’ll see how things hold up under the strain of regular MLB action. It seems likely that the club will avoid pushing Andujar too hard; he’s expected mostly to serve as a DH at the outset, at least.

The long-term outlook seems rather favorable, all things considered, though there’s always some risk of aggravation. Andujar says he’s not aware of whether he’ll need an offseason procedure to deal with the issue; skipper Aaron Boone indicated that the club doesn’t believe that’ll be necessary, as Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets.

Even if Andujar isn’t able to take much of the load at third base for some time, he’ll offer a significant lineup boost. His glove is the least-celebrated aspect of his game anyhow and Gio Urshela has filled in quite nicely.

East Notes: LeMahieu, Holt, Inciarte, Cano

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The Yankees announced today that an MRI showed inflammation in the right knee of infielder DJ LeMahieu. He suffered a contusion on Friday night and has been limited since. It’s a tough balance for the Yanks, who are already pressing numerous players into unexpectedly significant roles. While the preferred course might be to put LeMahieu on the shelf and bring in a replacement, the club is surely wary of keeping him out longer than needed and must also keep a close watch on 40-man roster pressures. It’s a tough spot — one that makes the club’s ongoing success all the more impressive (and frightening for the rest of the American League East).

Here’s more from the game’s eastern divisions:

  • Brock Holt’s path back to the majors has encountered another roadblock. The Red Sox utilityman is now dealing with a shoulder injury, as Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was among those to report. Details aren’t yet known — he’s due for a medical exam tomorrow — but it seems Holt came down with the ailment recently. He has been working back after suffering a scratched cornea. Holt, 30, turned in a strong .277/.362/.411 slash in 367 plate appearances last year. His absence is amplified by the fact that both Dustin Pedroia and Eduardo Nunez are also on the injured list at the moment.
  • Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte left tonight’s game with a hamstring injury. Initial indications are that he is in good shape, skipper Brian Snitker told reporters including David O’Brien of The Athletic (Twitter link), but the true condition of the muscle will be more apparent tomorrow. It’s conceivable that a roster move will be needed. The club wouldn’t necessarily need to bring up an outfielder, though it’s already running out an eight-man bullpen. Adam Duvall surely wouldn’t mind an opportunity. He’s playing at Triple-A for the first time since 2015 and doesn’t seem to want to stay (.306/.388/.647 with seven home runs and 16:11 K/BB through 98 plate appearances).
  • It seems that Mets second baseman Robinson Cano has avoided a significant injury after being struck by a pitch on Sunday. X-rays on his hand were negative, so it seems the club needs only to wait for the swelling to subside before it’ll be able to slot him back in the lineup. Cano is off to a solid but hardly overwhelming start to his tenure with New York’s National League entrant. Through 108 plate appearances, he carries a .270/.324/.430 slash line with three home runs. UZR and DRS have soured on his glovework a bit in the early going, though it’s tough to put too much stock in a short-sample run of defensive metrics.

X-Rays Negative On DJ LeMahieu, Gio Urshela

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  • The injury-ravaged Yankees may have to start dipping into the Double-A level to fill their roster at this rate, as a couple more of their players – infielders DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela – left Sunday’s game against the Giants with ailments. LeMahieu departed with right knee inflammation, while Urshela exited after Giants reliever Nick Vincent hit him in the left hand with an 88.5 mph pitch. Luckily for New York, X-rays came back negative in both cases, though LeMahieu will undergo an MRI on Monday (via ESPN.com, Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). LeMahieu and Urshela have handled third base with aplomb in place of Miguel Andujar, who’s one of 13 Yankees currently on the injured list.

Latest On Jacoby Ellsbury

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  • Injuries continue to haunt forgotten but well-compensated Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who last appeared in a game Oct. 17, 2017. Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday (via George A. King III of the New York Post) that Ellsbury is “dealing with different things,” “a number of little things that continue to pop up,” and “certainly” won’t return in the near term. The 35-year-old Ellsbury has battled a litany of health problems over the past couple seasons, including plantar fasciitis in 2019. The Yankees owe Ellsbury $21MM salaries through 2020 and can then cut the cord on him with a $5MM buyout.

Yankees Expect Clint Frazier Back In 10-14 Days

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  • Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes injured outfielder Clint Frazier will be able to return in 10 to 14 days, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relays. Frazier hit the IL on Thursday with an ankle injury, making him the 15th Yankee of the season to land on the shelf. It was especially unfortunate because Frazier, 24, looked to be in the early stages of a breakout campaign. He got off to a .324/.342/.632 start with six home runs in 73 PA, which was welcome production for a Yankees club whose outfield was annihilated by injuries even when Frazier was healthy.

Latest On Miguel Andujar

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The Yankees will open a seven-game homestand May 3, at which point injured third baseman Miguel Andujar could rejoin their lineup, manager Aaron Boone said Friday (via George A. King III of the New York Post). Whether that happens will depend on how Andujar fares in extended spring training and minor league rehab games over the next several days. For now, though, Boone is “cautiously optimistic” about Andujar’s torn right labrum, which looked like a potential season-ending injury when he went on the IL on April 1.  The 24-year-old is one of a whopping 15 Yankees who have landed on the injured list this season, but the reserve-laden club has weathered the storm with a 15-11 start. Third base subs DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela have performed well along the way, helping to ease the burden of Andujar’s absence.

Yankees Injury Updates: Hicks, Tulo, Andujar, Stanton

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  • As for star Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the biceps issue that drove him to the injured list appears to be sorted. But he’s now dealing with a new shoulder malady. Per Andy Martino of SNY.tv, the hope is that this new problem will only extend his absence by a week or so. It’s all a bit foggy but seems less than concerning on the whole, at least in comparison to the club’s overall injury malaise. Having treaded water admirably thus far, the Yanks can go another week without Stanton. They are still in good position in the AL East — so long as their health fortunes finally turn, at least.
  • With loads of significant players on the injured list, there are always quite a few Yankees updates of note. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch rounds up the latest in one concise tweet. Aaron Hicks and Troy Tulowitzki both appear close to full (minor-league) game action, which suggests both may not be far off from a return to the MLB roster. Miguel Andujar is slated to appear at third base in extended spring action tomorrow. That represents the latest promising sign as he attempts to stave off surgery to address a shoulder injury that isn’t preventing him from hitting but has hampered his throwing. Just how that’ll all turn out remains to be seen, but it appears there is enough promise that he’s going to try to ramp back up at the hot corner.
  • As for star Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the biceps issue that drove him to the injured list appears to be sorted. But he’s now dealing with a new shoulder malady. Per Andy Martino of SNY.tv, the hope is that this new problem will only extend his absence by a week or so. It’s all a bit foggy but seems less than concerning on the whole, at least in comparison to the club’s overall injury malaise. Having treaded water admirably thus far, the Yanks can go another week without Stanton. They are still in good position in the AL East — so long as their health fortunes finally turn, at least.

Yankees Acquire Cameron Maybin

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1:59pm: The Yankees announced that they have acquired Maybin from the Indians and immediately selected his contract to the Major League roster. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Luis Severino was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.

11:31am: MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Yankees are sending cash to the Indians in return for Maybin.

11:06am: The Yankees have acquired veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Indians, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports (Twitter link). He’d been with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate after signing a minor league contract and was not on the club’s 40-man roster.

It seems quite plausible, however, that Maybin could be added to the big league roster in New York. The Yankees placed Clint Frazier on the injured list this morning and are also without Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Jacoby Ellsbury, leaving them with an outfield mix comprised of Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman and Tyler Wade.

Maybin, 32, has opened the season in Triple-A Columbus with a .229/.397/.292 batting line through 63 trips to the plate. He is, of course, a seasoned big league veteran who has logged parts of 12 seasons at the MLB level and compiled a career-long .254/.322/.368 slash line. Most recently, Maybin split the 2018 season between the Marlins and Mariners, hitting .249/.326/.336 with four homers and 10 steals in 384 plate appearances. He spent Spring Training with the Giants organization, but poor performance and a DUI arrest while in camp unsurprisingly led the Giants to move in another direction.

Defensively, Maybin isn’t the player that he once was, but he still boasts well above-average speed and has ample experience playing all three outfield spots. Last year’s 28.5 ft/sec average sprint speed, as measured by Statcast, ranked Maybin in the 84th percentile of all big leaguers.

The move seems likely to be a short-term boost for the Yankees’ outfield depth. If the team can manage to get each of Hicks, Judge, Stanton and Frazier healthy, there’d be little room with Gardner and Tauchman also in the fold. And if injuries to any of the Yankees’ key outfield assets prove to ultimately be more severe than initially feared, it’s likely that the New York front office would pursue a more impactful upgrade down the line.

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