Before the 2024 season even started, the New York Yankees had their fair share of injury concerns, with Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu opening the campaign on the injured list and Anthony Rizzo, Aaron Judge and others battling ailments through Spring Training.
Two games into the season, two-time All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres was added to the list of banged up players as he was hit on his hand by a fastball, though he seems to have avoided the worst.
“In the Yankees seventh … Torres had a 93-mph fastball from Astros reliever Taylor Scott clip his right thumb,” Randy Miller reported for NJ.com.
Torres, who signed a one-year, $14.2 million deal with the Yankees to avoid arbitration this offseason, initially told the team he was fine, took his base and manned second at the bottom of the inning. But he then pulled himself out of the game, saying that he was worried he wouldn’t be able to turn a double play with a sore hand, though Miller noted that the pain was not growing worse and his hand was not swelling.
“After leaving the game, Torres headed to the ballpark X-rays room,” Miller added. “A few minutes later, there was relief. There was no sign of a fracture.”
But on a Yankees team that is looking to return to the playoffs after an injury-plagued 2023, even the slightest injury will be highly scrutinized — particularly in a shallow infield.
With LeMahieu out, the Yankees have Jon Berti, Oswalda Cabrera and Jahmai Jones as the listed second-base backups. But Cabrera is covering third base and the newly-acquired Berti is already the primary backup there as well as a potential option behind Cabrera at shortstop if needed
Berti appears to be the go-to substitute if Torres is ruled out.
“Berti starting for Torres … might be in the works, but this still was a crisis averted on all fronts,” Miller reported.
Another noteworthy ailment befell Juan Soto, the blockbuster trade acquisition who, along with Cabrera, has led the Yankees to two opening wins. Soto has started the season with four hits and two RBI in seven at bats (while Cabrera has six hits and four RBI in nine at bats).
After the game, Soto was “completely playing down” what appeared to be an ankle tweak, per Miller. Soto committed absolutely to playing the next game.
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