The New York Yankees continue falling victim to the injured list.
According to a recent analysis released by Eno Sarris and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, the Yankees are among the top three franchises with the most injuries, alongside the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles.
Analysts Point to Potential Causes
GettyAaron Judge of the New York Yankees at the plate before his injury
New York has a few of its top names on the injured list at this time, with some players on a day-to-day basis. Sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are two of the key figures here who are currently sidelined.
Sarris and Ghiroli identified some potential causes for the Yankees’ woes.
As noted by the duo, New York is a big-market team, and with that, they tend to be less risk-averse.
According to Sarris and Ghiroli, an NL executive stated, “Teams with deeper pockets are much more apt to stuff a player who is day-to-day on the IL, versus small- and mid-market clubs who have to consider the cost. Having a lot of big leaguers on the IL gets expensive.”
An AL executive added, “[The] goal is to ensure you have enough depth to stabilize in the absence of high-performing players. Something the Dodgers do best in baseball.”
For the Yankees, the pair points to the fact that the franchise may be more willing to sign and retain injured pitchers, in hopes of them providing a boost later on.
Additionally, the organization has an average player age of 28.9 years old since 2024, which places them on the older end compared to opposing teams. This undoubtedly adds to the uptick in injuries among the organization’s players.
Of course, the Yankees’ approach to the IL and retaining injured players comes with great risk.
But for New York, the possible reward is often worth such a risk. It has paid off time and time again, and it doesn’t look like they’re willing to change their method right now.
Yankees Are Filled With Uncertainty
GettyGiancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees running the bases before his injury
Judge’s status remains the most concerning right now. At the time of this writing, Judge has undergone an MRI and has an X-ray and CT scan scheduled for June 4.
He awaits a complete diagnosis, per Brian Hoch of MLB.com.
Up until his injury, Judge was slashing .248/.375/.533 with a .908 OPS and 17 homers through 59 game appearances. He remains out of the lineup for the Yankees’ matchup on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians.
On the sidelines alongside Judge is Stanton, who is out with a right calf strain. He is not expected to be activated for the next road trip, but his exact date of return is still unknown.
Much is up in the air for the beloved ballclub, but more answers regarding their injured stars should be flooding in soon.
In the meantime, the franchise will be wrapping up its series finale against the Guardians at 1:35 p.m. ET. On June 5, they will be entering their long-awaited series against the Boston Red Sox.
MLB Analysts Explain Why the Yankees Struggle With Injuries