Trent Grisham hurt his hamstring on Friday night in San Diego.
The injury forced the New York Yankees to take their centerfielder out of their eventual loss to the Padres.
And as sports fans will know, hamstring injuries are tricky. They often aren’t quick fixes.
Grisham appeared to get hurt initially on a stolen base attempt in which he was thrown out, although he stayed in the game and also came up short trying to make a catch in centerfield in the next half inning.
When Grisham was removed, the Yankees called it “right hamstring discomfort.”
“We know what we’re signing up for, so hopefully it’s nothing too problematic,” Grisham told reporters after the game.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone added that “it seems like an injury,” suggesting that it’s more than nothing. Grisham did miss time earlier this season with a right hamstring strain.
There’s actually a chance that this could help the Yankees, at least in one way, in the short term.
Helpful Side of Trent Grisham’s Injury
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner explained in an article after the game that not having Grisham might actually be a plus for the Yankees.
There are really two ways that is true, as well.
One is that Grisham has struggled lately.
“His minus-6 Outs Above Average are the second worst among center fielders,” Kirschner writes. “If he’s not producing at the plate, which he hasn’t for over two months, the Yankees have to consider alternatives, even if the injury is not serious. With Grisham’s status uncertain, (Spencer) Jones could have an opportunity to showcase his potential ahead of the postseason.”
There’s also the fact that Aaron Judge is slated to come back soon. When Judge returns, there’d have to be a roster crunch in the outfield.
If Grisham happened to be on the injured list, it’d at least temporarily solve that problem.
“Judge could return as soon as next week,” Kirschner writes. “Once he returns, whoever is recalled from the minors to fill Grisham’s spot could be sent down to make room for Judge on the roster. If the roster had remained unchanged before Judge’s return, the Yankees would have faced the possibility of demoting Jones or cutting a veteran such as Amed Rosario to make space. With Grisham dealing with another hamstring injury, however, the Yankees might avoid a challenging roster decision.”
What About Before Judge Returns?
Before Judge is back, the Yankees have a couple options at Triple-A that could be called up to replace Grisham if he goes on the IL.
Kirschner points out that both Jasson Dominguez and Max Schuemann would be easy to promote to take Grisham’s roster spot.
With Heliot Ramos not playing every day at the moment, a Grisham injury could also be a chance for the trade deadline acquisition from the San Francisco Giants to get a bit more consistent action, at least until Judge is ready to be back.
Some are suggesting that Judge could return on Sept. 11, which is now less than a week away. The Yankees certainly would take that.
How Trent Grisham’s Hamstring Injury Might Actually Help Yankees