The Bronx (Bandaged) Bombers!

It’s true that to win a championship in any sport you need more than just talent. You need more than just a good team and good coaching. You absolutely need a bit of luck and to stay away from the injury bug.

However, injuries are inevitable in any sport. Especially during the long grind of an MLB season. Every team will have injuries here and there, every team will put good players on the DL. But, the winning teams usually have less of them and have them during the “right time” of the season.

The New York Yankees are a very good team. With a ton of talented players, mixed between young and veterans. They have.. Good coaching? Jury is still out on Boone. But, they have been hit with the injury bug all season long and seems to be getting worse.

It started in the beginning of the season when they lost Jacoby Ellsbury to I don’t know how many injuries. I think his contract can officially be declared a failure and it’s time for Jacoby to retire.

Image – NY Post

They also lost starting center fielder Aaron Hicks to an intercostal muscle strain that landed him on the DL and missed about three weeks.

Then it was Greg Bird again… Foot surgery to start the season, out 6-8 weeks.

Starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery was lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery. That immediately sent them scrambling to fill his spot in the rotation. A rotation they have been trying to stabilize all season.

He wasn’t the only starter to go down. Masahiro Tanka pulled BOTH hamstrings running the bases against the Mets. It gave me PTSD to when Yanks pitcher Chin Ming Wong basically ended his career with a foot injury running the bases. (Wake up NL.. Get the DH.) Tanaka was placed on the 10-Day DL and missed a few weeks, opening another hole to fill in the rotation.

Image – abc7ny

Yankees then lost power hitting catcher Gary Sanchez… Twice. He went out with a groin injury running to first base weeks before the All-Star Break. During his first game back he dogged it to first base to end the game. Apparently he had re-injured the groin during the game and was once again placed on the DL, and has still not returned.

Image – For the Win

All-Star rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres went down with a hip injury. He was also placed on the 10-Day DL, missed a few weeks and was forced to miss his first All-Star game.

Image – SB Nation

Then it went from bad to worse. NO.. NOO! Aaron Judge was hit by a pitch in his hand, boom fracture. Of course it was right before a huge four game series in Fenway, a series they would be swept in. The Yankees said it would be a three week injury… Today is four weeks since the injury and he’s still not even swinging a bat.

Image – NY Post

Also in August the Yanks lost another starter. Veteran workhorse C.C. Sabathia was placed on the 10-Day DL with knee pain. The same knee he has been dealing with for a while.

Image – SB Nation

Then this past Sunday Didi went down running to first with a heel injury. He was also placed on the 10-Day DL, but heel injuries are funny how they heal so.. Who knows how long.

Image – cbssports

NOW.. Tuesday night after only six pitches in the bottom of the 12th inning Aroldis Chapman was taken out of the game with knee pain. The same knee he has been dealing with for a few months now. He has been placed on the 10-Day DL.

Image – espn

Add in young outfielder Clint Frazier who has been on and off with concussion symptoms and the Yankees have enough injuries to fill New York-Presbyterian.

Even though the Yankees had won four straight and the Sox had lost three straight (until last night, Yanks L Sox W) they are now nine games back again and aren’t going to catch them for the AL East title. But they must make sure they have home field advantage for the WC game.

They can afford to be cautious with most of their current injuries but need them back in September to ensure the WC game is in the Bronx and they are in a groove heading into October. The last thing they want is to fly to Oakland (if they win) have to fly right to Boston for the divisional round.. Which then would be a quick series.