TAMPA, FL - MARCH 12: Miguel Andujar #41 of the New York Yankees warms up before the spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at Steinbrenner Field on March 12, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
New York Yankees infielder Miguel Andújar had already been placed on the 10-day disabled list, but his time off the diamond may prove to be much longer.
Andújar was put on the DL on Monday morning with a strained right shoulder as the reason for the move. The injury occurred when Andújar dove back to third base on Sunday during the Yankees’ game against the Baltimore Orioles. Later Monday night, as the Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers 3-1, the situation escalated. MLB reporter Bryan Hoch alluded to the injury possibly being much more serious.
Miguel Andujar has a small labrum tear in his right shoulder. He will be treated conservatively for two weeks, but season-ending surgery is on the table.
The injury bug seems to have bitten the Yankees in the early part of 2019. Andújar has joined outfielder Giancarlo Stanton on the DL. Stanton was also put on the DL Monday with a biceps strain. Infielder Tyler Wade was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to take Andújar’s spot on the Yankees’ active roster.
The 24-year-old Andújar was 3-for-13 with an RBI and two strikeouts so far this season. During Spring Training he hit .347, picking up from a successful 2018 season in which he was the runner-up in the American League Rookie of the Year vote. With Andújar and Stanton shelved, the Yankees have 65 home runs and 192 RBIs from last season on the DL.
Possible replacements for Andújar
Newly-acquired infielder DJ LeMahieu started at third base in Andújar’s place on Monday night, though it’s unclear if that will be the long-term solution should Andújar be shut down for the remainder of the 2019 season. In eight at-bats so far this season, LeMahieu is batting .500 with two runs batted in and three walks. Other options for the Yankees include Wade and Troy Tulowitzki. LeMahieu is the most accomplished of those three players, more experienced at the big-league level than Wade and younger than Tulowitzki. As long as LeMahieu can continue to produce at the plate and other injuries don’t necessitate his use elsewhere (LeMahieu is a natural second baseman), the job will likely be LeMahieu’s to lose.
Tyler Wade said he got here in the seventh inning. He got an Uber from Scranton, a minivan. He told the driver to floor it. The Yankees picked up the fare.
Treatment options for Andújar
As the Yankees will look to avoid season-ending surgery, the conservative treatment options will likely include sitting Andújar, physical therapy, and exercises designed to strengthen the shoulder muscles around the torn labrum. If those methods are determined to be insufficient to return Andújar to playing form, surgery with a recovery time of three to five months before any baseball activities can be resumed will be undertaken. From there it’s likely that Andújar will make rehabilitation starts in the Yankees’ minor leagues and eventually work his way back to the majors.
Having made his major-league debut late in 2017, Andújar won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2024 season, though he will be eligible for arbitration after the 2021 season. Andújar’s ability to come back from an injury like this will not only have a serious effect on the Yankees’ chances to win the American League East division in 2019 but will decide his future earnings as well.
Yankees fans and Andújar fantasy owners should know more about his status by mid-April when decision time will come for all parties involved.