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The 2019 New York Yankee season was full of players moving up and down between the Major and Minor Leagues. A philosophy came about that is known as the “Next Man Up,” which meant the next guy to come to the Bronx from Scranton, PA.
It was only assumed that this would be a one-season matter. Some would even say that the Yankees just had extremely bad luck last year. Some of the injuries were a little unlucky, and some could have been prevented from the very beginning.
Nonetheless, the Yankees are here today in an even worse situation. Twenty-five games into the shortened 60-game season, the Bombers have lost ten players due to injuries. Three Yankees went on the Injured List following Thursday’s game against the Rays alone, including James Paxton, Gleyber Torres, and Luis Avilan.
The “Next Man Up” phrase was successful in 2019, but it does not seem to have the same energy as it did last season. It’s not to say that it isn’t working, since the Yankees are still 16-9 nearing the halfway mark of the season and in second place in the AL East. But the bulk of these injuries have occurred in the past ten days.
How do the players continue to get injured? The Yankees just brought in an entirely new training staff this past off-season because of the debacle last season. It is not an issue with a second training staff… is it?
Simply put, it can’t be. Strains, Sprains and muscle tears continue to punish the Yankee clubhouse, some of whom are getting these same injuries for the second or third time since the beginning of last season.
First off, to be fair to all the players, there is a rise in injuries across the entire league because of the shortened Spring Training. The league was desperate to get a deal put into place for a season, and the players ended up paying the ultimate price. There is no question that the shortened season has taken a toll on the players’ health, but it is not the only reason that they continue to get injured.
The players have to realize that they are not in it for the 100m sprint, but the 26.2-mile marathon. Yes, it’s fantastic that these guys are bulking up and building their strength, but that is not always the correct course of action to take. After all, we all know that Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton can hit the ball nearly 120 miles per hour off the bat.
Do the Yankees need to take more control of what goes on in the off-season? Yes, they do. Whether that means giving the players another trainer to work with or monitoring the players more closely when they are away from New York or Tampa, there needs to be something done.
The game is different now and teams invest much more in players than they used to, which is why the Yankees didn’t take a risk with Judge and just stuck him on the 10 Day IL.
The Yankees made one shakeup last off-season and it may be time for another one this off-season.
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