AL Notes – Injuries Have Yankees Struggling To Keep Up In East Race

The New York Yankees were not expected to run away with the American League East, but the Bronx Bombers were considered the favorite to repeat as division champions after re-signing AL MVP Aaron Judge to a nine-year, $360 million deal, bringing back first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and signing prized free-agent starter Carlos Rodon, but injuries have taken their toll on New York, who currently reside fourth in the division with a 14-11 record.

After winning five of the first six series in April, the Yankees have lost their last two against AL East rival Toronto and the Minnesota Twins. Even after a lopsided 12-6 victory over the Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, New York trails division-leading Tampa Bay by 6.5 games, the upstart Baltimore Orioles by 2.5, and the Blue Jays by two games.

The Yankees currently are hitting an anemic .232 team batting average (8^th in the AL)   and are tied for 4^th in the league with 31 home runs, due in part to the annual absence of outfielder/DH Giancarlo Stanton (out six weeks with a strained hamstring), third baseman Josh Donaldson (hamstring), and center fielder Harrison Bader, (oblique strain) New York has been forced to play journeymen like Willie Calhoun and Franchy Cordero in the middle of the order, while the bottom of New York’s lineup (Aaron Hicks, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Kyle Higashioka, Jose Trevino, and rookies Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera) have struggled to stay over the Mendoza line.

The Yankees pitching is doing their best with three of their five starters and numerous key members of their bullpen unavailable. Gerrit Cole has started out strong and is an early leader for Cy Young contention with a 4-0 record and 0.79 ERA, and Nestor Cortes has been dependable, going 3-1 in April, but the rest of the staff (Domingo German, Clarke Schmidt, and Jhony Brito) have only combined four wins.

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Righty Frankie Montas underwent labrum surgery after off-season rehab failed to improve right shoulder discomfort and the best-case scenario is he be out until the All-Star break. Luis Severino was placed on the injured list at the end of spring training after suffering a low-grade right lat strain but began throwing off the mound earlier this week.

Rodon was shut down with a forearm strain last month and started the season on IL. His arm issues subsided, but the big lefty developed back discomfort, which forced the Yankees to do some tests and rewind his throwing program.