Over 2 months into the 2024 MLB season, the New York Yankees have emerged as one of the strongest and impactful teams. They are leading AL-East with 50-24 record and barring any major slump, the Bronx Bombers are expected to advance to postseason without breaking a sweat.
However, baseball is a funny sport where nothing is certain. With a large half of the season still left on the cards, former Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon has warned the New York Yankees of a potential downfall towards September if an injury outbreak wreaks havoc in the clubhouse.
Jonathan Papelbon Advice Yankees To Star Wary Of Pitcher Injury
The New York Yankees lost a three-game series to arch-rivals Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park over the weekend. It was a rare bad weekend for the Yanks, who have dominated the season like never before. However, despite the Bronx Bombers’ strong stand in AL-East, former Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon has boldly predicted the New York-based team’s downfall. In his latest tweet, Jonathan urged rivals to trash Yanks at any chance they get. He further went on to add that the Yanks are living in a fairytale bubble that can shatter in the second half of the season, especially in case of an injury outbreak. “The collapse is coming when they have to battle injuries and pitching averages back out at the end of the season when pitching matters the most,” Papelbon wrote.
Notably, the New York Yankees haven’t weathered a serious injury concern this year apart from that of ace Gerrit Cole. The reigning AL CY Young pitcher has missed the entire season with a nerve elbow inflammation injury. Besides, DJ LeMahieu had a delayed start to the year with a foot injury. While Juan Soto encountered a forearm strain, it took him just 3 days to come out of it. Clarke Schmidt is another key player down with a lat strain. And recently, Anthony Rizzo and Jasson Dominguez have encountered some issues. Hence, while the Yanks have stayed put for now, things can drastically change in the second half, which could jeopardize the team’s postseason aspirations. And with the kind of start the Bombers have had, missing the postseason from here would be devastating, to say the least.
Jasson Dominguez Back In IL A Week After Return From Tommy John
The world is cruel if you are Jasson Dominguez because the kid does not seem to be catching a break this year. He spends the last 7-8 months recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The Martian was finally reinstated from IL and optioned to Triple-A minor league. However, Dominguez has landed back on 7-day IL with a left side/oblique injury.
Jasson Dominguez took an awkward swing in Saturday’s game and is currently undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury. While the exact diagnosis is pending, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that the setback was good enough to put on IL right away. Notably, Jasson had hit .356 with a 1.014 OPS, six home runs, and three steals in 23 minor league games this year.
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