The vibes around the New York Yankees are not good right now. The team is last in the AL East and has a nasty case of the injury bug, with guys like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton injured. Center fielder Harrison Bader nearly joined them on the IL.
In the ninth inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians, Bader collided with Isaiah Kiner-Falefa as they both pursued a fly ball from the outfield. The ball fell for a hit, giving Cleveland the lead while Bader stayed on the ground and seemed to suffer a head injury.
Jose Trevino walked the game off with a pinch-hit single but the concerns around Bader remained after the game. Yankees manager Aaron Bone quelled those concerns with a positive injury update, according to Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com.
“I think Harrison’s going to be fine,’’ said Boone, via NorthJersey.com “He was in really good spirits and laughing in the training room.”
Bader was key for the Yankees last season in the playoffs, becoming somewhat of a slugger himself with a monster postseason performance. Keeping him healthy allows Judge to conserve energy as a corner outfielder, so the fact that he avoided a major injury is huge. His start to the season hasn't been geat but his value to the team as a defensive specialist is key.
The Yankees remain confident but have to show something soon. Relying solely on their stars to carry the team when they get healthy will get them no further than they got last season.
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