The injury virus has made an early appearance in the Yankees’ locker room.
A day after it was announced that Carlos Rodón would start the season on the disabled list with a strained forearm, manager Aaron Boone returned to reporters Friday with more bad news.
Harrison Bader will be out “for a while” with a left oblique strain, Aaron Boone told reporters Friday. The center fielder was pulled from Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals after experiencing discomfort in the box.
( What do the Yankees have in Harrison Bader? )
Boone did not give a specific timeline for the 28-year-old’s return, however, he did estimate a recovery period of four to six weeks as the normal time frame for this injury.
“He has a great mentality: do whatever I have to do to come back,” Boone said Thursday. “He is in a very good frame of mind. That’s how it is…
“(Bader) is one of the great defenders of the game in center field. Obviously, he brings athleticism on the offensive end. We all saw what he did in the postseason with the bat. He is a big part of our team. Although this may set him back a bit, he will still be a big part of the team this year for the long haul. We are also sure of that.”
The gold glove center fielder came to the Bronx last season at a trade deadline with the Cardinals in exchange for Jordan Montgomery. The 28-year-old arrived in a walking boot as he was in the midst of his recovery from plantar fasciitis and didn’t make his club debut until September 20 when Aaron Judge filled the void in center field for 78 games during his MVP. season 2022. Judge is a candidate to return to answer the call.
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“(Judge) could be (a candidate), depending on how long it is, and maybe not even how long it is,” Boone said. “But if it makes more sense to move it there in the short term, I’d say it’s at least possible.”
It hasn’t been an ideal few days on the injury front for the Bombers.
The starter in the Yankees shortstop competition broke out Friday afternoon in the clubs 4-3 win in the Grapefruit League. Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered 392 feet to right during his 2-for-3 afternoon.
The 27-year-old also had a change of scenery as he was playing second base for the first time this spring as the Yankees continue to test the versatility of their infielders with Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe also playing second base at different points. this spring. .
( The Yankees can’t afford to wait for Isiah Kiner-Falefa to magically improve )
Kiner-Falefa had gotten off to a slow start in the battle to keep his job, as his overall numbers this spring, 3-for-14 (.214), have been disappointing.
Volpe has been the leader in clubhouse statistics as the 21-year-old went 6-for-20 (.300) with a home run, two doubles and three stolen bases. Peraza is 3-for-12 (.250) including a double in Thursday’s game against the Red Sox.
( Aaron Judge praises top prospect Anthony Volpe: “If you’re the best player… you should help the New York Yankees” )
The Bombers will have a split team day Saturday with two starts at 1:05 pm The club will take on the Phillies at George M Steinbrenner Field and send another group to LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida to take on the Pirates.