The New York Yankees have bested injuries all season, and now have another crush of them including Gary Sanchez and Edwin Encarnacion.
If the MLB playoffs began on Saturday, the New York Yankees would be the American League’s top seed. It’s truly amazing.
New York is well-known for having a bloated payroll, but the Yankees deserve credit this season. The Yankees have overcome injuries to Edwin Encarnacion, Gary Sanchez, C.C. Sabathia, Dellin Betances, Aaron Judge, Miguel Andujar, Gio Urshela, Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino among others. Still, the Bronx Bombers enter the weekend 97-52, the best record in the majors.
Now, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is dealing with another wave as October approaches.
Encarnacion strained his oblique in Detroit and was forced to undergo further testing. The same for Sanchez, just for his groin instead. Both are hoping to return before the end of the regular season, although it’s certainly not a given. Reliever Tommy Kahnle punched a sunflower seed container as well, although he appears alright. Then there’s starting pitcher J.A. Happ who has biceps tendinitis. Happ will continue fighting through it for the time being.
New York has more than proven its ability to win at far less than full strength, but being without Encarnacion and Sanchez could be stumping blocks in the postseason. The Yankees may well see the winner of the AL Wild Card Game, which appears to be either the Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays or Cleveland Indians. Regardless of which of the trio it is, the Yankees will be facing teams with quality pitching. In the cases of Oakland and Cleveland, especially the former, both have significant power throughout the order.