Injury issues have hampered the New York Yankees 2023 season campaign so far. Twelve key roster players are serving time on the injury list as of this writing. Amid these concerns, the Bombers finally saw a ray of hope as center fielder Harrison Bader got reinstated from IL this week. Bader, who missed out on the spring training earlier due to oblique issues, recovered through timely rehab and made his way back into the main lineup.
However, things went haywire in the very second game of the season for Bader. During the ninth inning, the Yankees suffered two major injury concerns in the span of mere 10 minutes. Harrison Bader and Oswald Peraza pulled out of the game after suffering respective injuries, and their future participation in the league remains under wraps.
Harrison Bader, Oswald Peraza Likely To Avoid IL Stint
During the ninth inning, Harrison Bader had a bad collision with the outfielder, Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Bader immediately fell to the ground, looking visibly in pain. However, the center fielder stood up on his feet after a lengthy delay and made his way back to the dugout. The latest update coming out from manager Aaron Boone is that the Bader went for tests on the neck and head. However, the outfielder was in good spirits and was laughing around the medical room. Hence, the skipper expects Bader to be fine and possibly avoid an IL stint.
On the other hand, Oswald Peraza, who came in as a pinch runner for Anthony Rizzo, rolled his ankle while running on the base path. He immediately left the game and went for X-rays. While the team awaits the results, Aaron Boone looked confident and said the damage is not that major. However, the full picture will be out on display only when the test results come out. Peraza is not part of the Yankees’ regular roster. He has been coming out off the bench as a pinch runner or as a substitute so far. Still, an IL stint for him could be bad news for an injury-plagued Bombers.
Yankees Top Prospect Activated From IL
Amid the injury crisis, the Yankees finally have some good news coming their way. The farm system’s top-catching prospect, Austin Wells, has been reinstated from the Somerset Patriots IL after a successful rehab assignment with the Single-A minor team. Now, the catcher will have to undergo two hurdles, the Double-A, and the Triple-A, to finally land on the main Yankees roster.
The left-hand slugger had put in impressive numbers last season and remained a top prospect during this year’s spring training. However, a fractured rib forced him out of action for a couple of months. Nonetheless, the catcher is now back in full swing, and the Yankees will look forward to having him on the roster. Being a left-hand slugger, Austin Wells will provide much-needed balance in the roster and could prove to be the key missing piece of the struggling offense.