Who’s on first. Cano’s on second. I don’t know: third base. And that’s just the infield.
The New York Yankees have been hit by the injury bug big time. Last week, the Bombers lost Curtis Granderson until May after suffering a fractured forearm when he was hit by a pitch during a spring training game. This week, Mark Teixeira went down with a strained right wrist while hitting off a tee (yes, a tee like they use at the lowest levels of Little League). He could be out eight to 10 weeks, but that’s a guesstimation at best.
That’s just the hitters. Starter Phil Hughes is recovering from a bulging disk in his back. Lefty reliever Clay Rapada was shut down on Thursday because of bursitis in his throwing shoulder. The other lefty in the bullpen, Boone Logan, has a sore left elbow. Last but not least, set-up man Dave Robertson has shoulder discomfort.
The main concern, though, is the offense. The Yankees knew they would be without Alex Rodriguez for most of 2013 because of his wonky hip and were able to make a contingency plan by signing Kevin Youkilis. These latest injuries are most likely going to be filled with, well, fillers.
The New York Yankees could move Youkilis to first and have Eduardo Nunez play third. Of course, Nunez is always an adventure in the field. Manager Joe Girardi says that for spring training at least, Juan Rivera and Dan Johnson will get the bulk of time at first base. Neither is an incredibly enticing option given that Johnson is a career .237 hitter and Rivera is an outfielder (although he has 83 big-league starts at first).
The New York Yankees claim they are not about to sign anyone; however, once spring training starts to wind down and teams begin trimming down their rosters, a slightly more enticing option could appear. The Houston Astros, for example, have four first basemen in camp including Carlos Pena and Brett Wallace. One of those players could possibly be plugged in if they become available.
For now, though, it’s just going to be Band-Aids galore (pun intended) until the starters recover and get back on the field.
