Addition by subtraction, in a sense, has struck the New York Yankees yet again, as the team placed infielder Gio Urshela on the injury list and have activated first baseman Luke Voit from that very same list. With being placed on the injury list, Urshela will, unfortunately, miss out on qualifying for the American League batting title, sitting barely short of the needed amount.
Urshela has put together a really impressive 2019 season for the Yankees, helping solidify the hot corner for the pinstripes. Having bounced around between two other teams in the AL before becoming a member of the Yankees, Urshela looks to have found a long-term home in the Bronx.
Having played the most games in his career in one season, Urshela socked 18 home runs, has driven in 67 runs and put up splits of .331/.370/.555 across 114 games and 384 at-bats. Potentially looked at as the long-term replacement at third base, Urshela is not expected to miss the rest of the season, something that manager Aaron Boone was quick to mention.
Not being able to return until their next series against the Boston Red Sox, Urshela will be missed, but current second baseman and current AL batting average leader D.J. LeMahieu will be counted on in Urshela’s absence.
For Voit, his return after being on the shelf for 28 games due to a core injury comes at an important time for the Yankees. Their 11-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays looks to be pretty safe for the remainder of the year, but any sort of addition that the Yankees can make to that gap is certainly welcomed.
Before Voit got injured, he was putting up his best statistical season, as the 28-year-old has hit 19 home runs and driven in 54 before the injury. Having a split of .278/.392/.493 at the plate is quite impressive, even for a slugging first baseman like Voit.
With the rash of injuries plaguing the Yankees, placing Urshela on the injury list makes him the 29th different player to visit that list, breaking a Major League Baseball record for most players in the course of one season to be placed on the IL.
When rosters open up to 40 players at the beginning of September, making up for the hopefully-brief loss of Urshela should be easier to address for Boone and his staff, and with the current divisional lead as large as it is, they are able to rest certain players as well in preparation for the upcoming postseason slate.
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