The Yankees' Unprecedented Injury Luck

Wingack

Yankee Mod
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
34,360
In The Quivering Forest
There is a good article on The Ringer that puts the Yankees injury situation into perspective. The Yankees have 13 guys on the IL, the record is 16.

The Yankees stand out for two reasons. The first is that most of the teams with 13 or more players on the IL at once reached their injury peak near midseason, which makes sense—players’ bodies wear down as the season goes on. The Yankees are one of just two teams since 2002 to put 13 players on the IL in April.

The second reason is the quality of players they have on the shelf at once. Like Judge, their list of IL’d players is not only large, but quite productive. If the Yankees could put together the best 10-player lineup (eight position players, DH, starting pitcher), eight of those players, plus another member of their rotation (Montgomery) and their setup man (Betances), are currently on the IL.
Consider this:

Before this year, the most previous-season fWAR any team had lost at one time since 2002 was 21.1. In August 2017, the Washington Nationals had Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Adam Eaton, Trea Turner, Jayson Werth, and a handful of other players all on the IL at the same time.

The current players on the Yankees’ IL list combined to produce 32.8 fWAR last year, which blows away the previous record. Since 2002, only five other teams—including this year’s Indians, from when Mike Clevinger went on the IL April 9 through Jason Kipnis’s activation on April 15—had even half as much previous-year production on the IL at one time.
That they are winning games despite this and are only a couple of games outside of first place is really quite impressive. But guys are stepping up and they are being kept afloat by the fact that the starting rotation throws someone of quality out there every day, even if they don't have their ace out there anymore.

They do have Domingo German killing it.
 

DeadlySplitter

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 20, 2015
33,249
it's a pretty big rash of the injury bug. the team has hung in very well nonetheless, making the Red Sox' start look that much worse.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
Is there a bright side to this injury jinx?
The way it looks right now, the Yankees should have a group of rested regulars for the second half of this season. Is that an advantage? Maybe with pitchers it is, as Betances and Severino will have fresh arms in August.
Position players like Hicks, Stanton and Judge, who knows? We know Gardner will be running on fumes by August. The injury siege opened the door for Clint Frazier in the outfield. He took advantage, as did Gio Urshela, who has a lot of regressing to the mean in store if he keeps playing regularly at third base.
Severino’s injury did open the door for Domingo German, who has been a revelation but figures to run into an innings limit by September.
Baseball players can get tired after 120 games or so. That will not be an excuse for most of the key Yankees this season.
 

Murderer's Crow

Dragon Wangler 216
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
23,476
Garden City
There was also a quick piece on German that he's due for a homerun adjustment. If I can find it, I'll post it. Perhaps some regression coming there as well.
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,618
It’s not called the DL any more? This it what happens when you watch the games with the TV muted or zone Michael Kay out.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
It’s not called the DL any more? This it what happens when you watch the games with the TV muted or zone Michael Kay out.
Yeah, they changed it this year. It is a little confusing since the AAA league is also abbreviated the IL, but people will get used to it.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
"Luis Severino (shoulder/lat) and Dellin Betances (shoulder/lat) have been cleared by doctors to start their throwing programs, per Aaron Boone."

"They will begin on Monday. Both received MRIs (to check the healing of the lats) as part of the permission to begin throwing, per Boone."
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Gio Urshela onto the IL today is NY's 29th different player to hit the IL this season (36 total stints), a new MLB record.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
Aaaaaaand Sabathia joins Urshela in the IL.
A good place for him. Here is a question. Would the Yankees consider CC as a loogy in the playoffs? Or is he too big a risk because of defensive and health liabilities. Yanks need him in the dugout to provide leadership, and he deserves a seat, just not as an active participant.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
I thought he was borderline at best for the postseason roster before this latest flareup of his knee, now I hope he can maybe make one more token appearance at home to let the crowd say goodbye and then NY can put him on the 60 day IL and use his 40 man spot.

Also Encarnacion is going to Scranton tomorrow, Boone said he could be back in NY this homestand (which ends Wednesday), yay!!