March 7, 2020

Schadenfreude 268 (A Continuing Series)


Bill Madden, Daily News:
The great Yankee hype of teaming up these two giants of power in the middle of the order after Stanton was acquired from Miami in 2017 has become a pipe dream.

You can't make this stuff up: After his umpteenth MRI, it was found Friday that the nagging pain [Aaron] Judge was feeling in his shoulder all spring was actually a broken rib! Supposedly incurred making a diving catch in the outfield way back in September! And after missing almost all of last season with an assortment of injuries — left biceps, left shoulder, left knee, left calf — [Giancarlo] Stanton played in one spring training game in February, promptly reported soreness in his right calf during defensive drills on Feb. 26, and hasn't been on the field since. ...

[T]he preponderance of injuries to the two big guys is troubling. In Stanton's case, the Yankees owe him $244 million through 2027. His acquisition could end up as the worst deal in team history, by far. As for Judge, who missed 54 games last season with the second substantial oblique injury of his career (the other being in 2016) ... giving him a long-term contract would be as insane as it was to pick up Stanton's bloated contract.

At the same time, however, you have to wonder why these two guys are hurt so much. Is it because they're just too big for baseball players and thus more susceptible to these kind of injuries — calf, oblique, pec, biceps, ribs etc. — that take so long to heal?



George A. King III, Post:
Aaron Judge had nothing but good intentions when he believed he could get beyond normal soreness in his right shoulder and chest this offseason. The Yankees, however, would have preferred that Judge keep their medical department apprised of the soreness.

"Sure, you always want guys to communicate exactly what they are doing," manager Aaron Boone said Saturday. ...

Judge believed he could fight past the problem. ...

Judge said when he started his offseason workout program, he believed the soreness was normal because he was starting to move around after a period of rest.

"As the offseason progressed, it started to get worse and worse. ... Was it a back issue? Was it my shoulder? Always a lot of confusion," Judge said Friday.

George A. King III, Post:
Add Gary Sanchez to the rapidly growing list of Yankees players with physical issues.

After catching consecutive games Thursday and Friday, Sanchez wasn't among the batting practice groups for a Saturday morning workout ...

The Yankees already have lost Luis Severino for the season due to Tommy John surgery, likely won't have Giancarlo Stanton (Grade 1 strained right calf) for Opening Day, don't know how long Aaron Judge will be out with a stress fracture in his right top rib with the possibility of surgery looming and are without James Paxton (lower back surgery) for at least the first two months of the season. Also, Aaron Hicks already has undergone Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss at least the first three months of the season as the Yankees' 2020 season is developing into a repeat of 2019. ...

The sore back news followed a dreadful performance behind the plate Friday night at Steinbrenner Field, where Sanchez was charged with a passed ball (it should have been two) and was on the field for three wild pitches. Those struggles resulted in the home crowd booing Sanchez louder with each pitch he didn't catch or stop. ...

Boone isn't concerned about the catcher's .059 batting average [1-for-17 with seven strikeouts].

George A. King III, Post:
Gary Sanchez didn't handle two pitches from Deivi Garcia in the first inning of the Yankees' 5-1 loss to the Orioles that allowed Baltimore to score twice, prompting boos from the Steinbrenner Field crowd.

One was scored a wild pitch and the second a passed ball, but each should have been caught. Sanchez was behind the plate for two more wild pitches from David Hale.
The great Gary Maniloaf, everybody!

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