AL Notes: Struggling Yanks, Glasnow Blaming “Sticky Stuff” Crackdown For Arm Tear, Injuries Galore

After winning their sixth game in a row on May 23, the New York Yankees were 28-19 and a half game behind Boston and Tampa Bay for top spot in the AL East. Three weeks later, the Bronx Bombers are just two games over .500 and trail the Rays by eight games, prompting chatter in New York about the future of manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman.

Boone is in the final year of a four-year contract and while having some postseason success, has not been able to get the Yankees to the World Series. Cashman’s moves in the offseason appeared to be more focused on staying under MLB’s $210 million luxury tax than adding more expensive free agents.

“Losing invites scrutiny on us all,’’ Cashman said while travelling with the club in Buffalo on Tuesday. “We are all in this together. We made this bed and we’re gonna sleep in it and make sure we find a way to fix this together.”

New York has lost center fielder Aaron Hicks for the season with a wrist injury, MLB homerun champ Luke Voit has been on the IL twice, and veteran starting pitch Corey Kluber injured his shoulder the start after pitching a no-hitter.

With the Yankees continuing to struggle, Cashman says he is open to shaking things up and making some changes before the July 31 trade deadline.

“Clearly (I’m open to) some roster cleanup or fixes or whatever. I’m knocking on the doors and having my phone calls.” Cashman said. “If we can find some matches to see if we can improve what we’ve got, we’ll certainly take our shot at that.”

Glasnow Blaming “Sticky Stuff” Crackdown For Arm Tear

Major League Baseball’s implementation of new policies regarding pitchers using substances to provide more grip on the baseball may have its first casualty. Tampa ace Tyler Glasnow suffered partially torn UCL and a flexor strain in his throwing arm after his start against the Chicago White Sox on Monday and attributed his injury to the new rules in the middle of the season and how the adjustment affected his arm.

“I just threw 80 something innings and you just told me I can’t use anything. I have to change everything. I truly believe 100% that’s why I got hurt.” Glasnow said. “I’m frustrated MLB doesn’t understand. You can’t just tell us to use nothing. It’s crazy.”

The 27-year-old is 5-2, with a 2.66 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 88 innings, and will attempt to rehab his injuries instead of undergoing Tommy John surgery.

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Injuries Begin To Mount

Yankees pitcher Luis Severino’s return to the majors hit a snag on Saturday, as the starter suffered a Grade 2 groin strain.

Severino was expected to return to the rotation by the end of June and Boone revealed on Tuesday that his timetable has been pushed back a month.

The Toronto Blue Jays have had their share of problems with losing arms in the bullpen to injury. Projected closer Kirby Yates did not make it out of spring training before undergoing Tommy John surgery and his successor Julian Merryweather made only four appearances before an oblique injury found him on the 60-day DL.

Things have only got worse for the Jays, as reliever CJ Edwards left the game on Tuesday vs. NY and was placed on the IL with an oblique strain and Rafael Dolis left Wednesday’s game with an unspecified injury.

The plague of injuries to aces did not end with Glasnow, as Baltimore’s John Means and Cleveland’s Shane Beiber are both dinged up. Means left in the first inning of the O’s 10-4 loss to the Indians after giving up two HR’s with shoulder fatigue, but an MRI found no structural damage.

Bieber struggled through a weekend start vs. Seattle and was placed on the injured list with a muscle strain in his right shoulder.