Outfielder Harrison Bader joined the New York Yankees last year via a blockbuster trade from St. Louis Cardinals. Many MLB analysts called it a high-risk trade owing to Bader’s troubling injury history. While Bader showed glimpses of intense athleticism during his short tenure in 2022, the nagging health issues were back to hinder his growth.
The Yankees viewed Harrison Bader as their permanent center-field solution. However, his troubling injury history just would not leave his back. Prior to the commencement of the 2023 MLB season, the outfielder suffered from oblique issues and missed more than five weeks of game time. Fortunately, with timely rehab, he was able to make a return. However, the happiness was short-lived as Bader suffered yet another major injury scare during Monday night’s game vs. Seattle Mariners.
Yankees Pull Out Harrison Bader Due To Hamstring Discomfort
The New York Yankees took a flight to the west coast to face the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series. The series opener was held on Monday, wherein the Bronx Bombers unleashed offensive carnage. The captain, Aaron Judge‘s dual homer, guided the team to a comfortable 10-4 victory. While the starter, Domingo German, struggled in his comeback game, the bullpen took care of the rest. Overall, it proved to be a good day at the office for the Yankees, except for one moment, which sent out shockwaves into the Yankee fandom.
Harrison Bader has left the game with an apparent injury
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 30, 2023
(via @TalkinYanks) pic.twitter.com/urLuh7jlaW
At the top of the third inning, center fielder, Harrison Bader, drove for a single in the infield. The ball landed between shortstop and third base as he made a sprint to secure a base. While the outfielder managed to pull off the single, he looked in discomfort at the first base. The Yankees manager and medical staff rushed to attend to him, and later, after a brief discussion, the team management decided to pull him out. It was later confirmed that Bader felt tightness in the hamstring while running into the base paths. Greg Allen replaced him as the pinch runner as Bader sat out for the rest of the game. Further, Aaron Boone, the manager, came forward with an update on the outfielder’s injury status.
Aaron Boone Provides Latest Injury Update On Bader
Harrison Bader left Monday night’s game against the Mariners due to hamstring tightness. Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, faced the media and provided a crucial update. He said Bader will undergo MRI scans on Tuesday to determine the severity of the latest injury. While Boone claimed that the injury looked minor, an IL stint cannot be ruled out in case of hamstring injury as they are very tricky to handle. Hence, the team will keep an eye on him for a few days and make a final decision once the MRI results are out.
Harrison Bader’s injury is bad news for the New York Yankees. Ever since his return from an oblique injury, the center fielder had been in electric form. He scored .267 with six home runs and 19 RBIs. Bader played a huge role in the team’s recent offensive resurgence. Hence, losing Harrison Bader at this stage of the tournament will be a major blow to the Yankees’ World Series dream.
