The New York Yankees were finally able to get their team back to full health until two significant injuries occurred shortly after clinching a playoff spot.
The New York Yankees punched their ticket to the 2018 MLB Playoffs following a walk off double by Aaron Hicks that scored Didi Gregorius. This great clinching moment took place on September 22nd in an extra inning victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankees Stadium.
Although the Yankees recently welcomed Aaron Judge and Aroldis Chapman back from the disabled list, the two Wild Card clinching heroes in Didi and Hicks caught their own cases of the injury bug.
According to Coley Harvey with ESPN, Gregorius tore cartilage in his right wrist when he slid head first into home plate following the walk-off double by Hicks. A few days later on September 25th, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported that Hicks had to leave a game against the Tampa Bay Rays due to tightness in his left hamstring.
With the expanded rosters in September, it is unnecessary to place either player on the disabled list, but there has been fear the both players would miss the upcoming Wild Card game. However, the Yankees recently received some great news on these two important pieces to the teams chances at playoff success.
According to the Associate Press through the Washington Times, Didi and Hicks are likely to return prior to the Wild Card game on October 3rd as both players have been cleared for baseball activities.
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Gregorius was able to field his position in practice and swing his bat in an indoor cage while also remaining positive about the situation. “I don’t think it was something too crazy to worry about,” Gregorius told the Associated Press. “I want to be out there for the team. As soon as they let me play, I’ll be in there.”
An MRI confirmed that Hicks does not have a specific grade strain or tear, so he will join Didi in being able to participate at his position in practice while also being able to swing in the indoor cage. Although Gregorius does not have a specific return date, Hicks could potentially be available to play as early as Friday in Boston.
This is great news for a Yankees team that had high expectations entering this season after they reached game seven of the American League Championship series last season. Although the team added depth pieces such as Andrew McCutchen (which has turned Brett Gardner into a depth pice), Neil Walker, and Adeiny Hechavarria in case injuries took place, they would definitely prefer to have Didi in the infield and Hicks in the outfield.
Through 496 AB’s, Gregorius has a career high 27 home runs and a career high .834 on-base plus slugging percentage. He owns a 4.3 oWAR to go with a 0.7 dWAR, so he helps the team on both sides of the field.
Through 469 ABs, Hicks has a career high 26 home runs and he holds an .833 OPS. Hicks owns a 4.8 oWAR, and a 0.3 dWAR, so he is also a positive on both sides of the field.
Having these two players available in the starting lineups gives Yankees manager Aaron Boone a variety of choices off of the bench in the playoffs. Whether it is using Walker as a pinch hitter to take on a tough right-handed pitcher, or Gardner as a pinch runner or defensive replacement, this versatility is very important to close out any upcoming winner take all games.
Rookie starting second baseman and backup shortstop Gleyber Torres has also been experiencing some tightness in his hip. Although it sounds like he is being held out for precautionary reasons, the Yankees cannot afford to have Gregorius, Hicks, and Torres out for a playoff game. Due to this, the news of their progressing health is very encouraging for the Bronx Bombers October hopes.