INJURIES - WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

Every year, all teams have to deal with injuries.  Some happen before the season, and others happen during the season.  Of course, some happen during both periods (e.g., DJ LeMahieu). So far, our key injured players who are questionable for opening day include:

Hitters:
DJ LeMahieu:  (left calf strain) - as mentioned an "as expected" injured player.

Giancarlo Stanton:  (pain in both elbows) - another "as expected" injured player.

Pitchers:

Gerrit Cole:  (recovering from Tommy John surgery).

Luis Gil:  (strain of the lat/a.k.a., latissimus dorsi strain) - last year's "Rookie of the Year" winner.

Jonathan Loáisiga:  (right UCL surgery recovery) - again, another "as expected" injured player.

Jake Cousins:  (right forearm strain) - he was great last season.

Clarke Schmidt:  (will pitch today in a Spring Training game with the hopes his back is okay), and one of our top pitching prospects.

Chase Hampton:  (recovering from Tommy John surgery) - their top AAA pitching prospect who would like have played for their MLB team this season.

From the above players listed, most of the players are expected to be back during this season, while both Cole and Hampton will be out for the full 2025 season and part of the 2026 season.  Stanton, on the other hand, has to wait to see if the PRP (platelet-rich plasma) shots he's been receiving don't effectively work.  If the shots fail, then he will potentially require season-ending surgery.

Possible Replacements of the Injured and of the Vacated Free Agents:

As we still await the hope of signing a viable third baseman for the aforementioned wounded players (I don't think either Cabrera or Peraza are fulltime players for the Yankees), here are some inhouse options (short- and long-term) for our vacated starting positions or starting pitchers:

Jasson Domínguez

Jasson, considered the Yankees' number 1 prospect, is supposed to be the one who replaces last season's main leftfielder, Alex Verdugo.  Brian Cashman has been insisting that Jasson is slated to be the team's 2025 leftfielder; however, lately, Cashman has been rightfully and only recently been stating "Jasson needs to earn the spot.".  While everyone knows the potential of Jasson, I personally think he needs more grooming in his hitting and, even more, with his defense!  We all saw defensive flaws during his short stint last year in leftfield, but my concern is not the different angle on the ball off of the bat compared to centerfield, but that he demonstrates some of the same issues Gleyber Torres had - lack of concentration, acting too lax.  My vote is to give him more AAA time to fully develop and to determine which position has the least amount of vulnerability if he doesn't.

Will Warren

Warren has added 1-2 mph to his sinker and four-seam fastball so far this spring while his sweeper has increased movement with a very impressive 3,000 rpm and nearly 20 inches of horizontal movement.  Last season was not impressive enough, but let's keep an eye on him for perhaps finally making it to the promised land this season as a starter.  With Cole out, we certainly need Warren in the rotation.

On-the-Horizon (before or during the 2026 season):

Spencer Jones

Although Jones, the Yankees' number 3 rated prospect, was last in the AA level, I've seen a decent amount of his at-bats and defense and feel he's shown a lot of progression.  He has basically had one weakness, strikeouts.  He worked overly hard on that over the winter with the main focus concentrated on moving his swing actions with his whole body as opposed to separating that portion when swinging.  It's thankfully very noticeable watching him during the Spring Training games.  Even though such games are considered nonessential, there are still key things to evaluate based on more than just the stats, such as studying any difference of the pitchers or batters from the prior season.  If you're watching those games, and have seen his 2024 at-bats, you'll see the difference. Even former players have mentioned it.  Jones has been one of my favorite draft picks in years and I truly expect him to join the team quicker than most can at this stage.  

George Lombard, Jr. 

George is the Yankees' number 2 prospect.  His exit velocities and chase rates all ran above-average.  His infield defensive prowess is top-notch.  Scouts report that his range, quick hands, and superb instincts will undoubtedly make him continue to be an excellent defender, especially as a shortstop.  During Spring Training, he has certainly opened some eyes up, especially the announcers and also Boone.  They also brag about his maturity for a 19 year-old.  Like Spencer, I would love to see him accelerate rapidly.  He totally has that "Wow!" factor like Spencer!!

JC Escarra

He is a standout!  Last season, in AAA, he produced a .930 OPS with 8 home runs and 34 RBIs in just 52 games.  Currently, he's auditioning to become Austin Wells' backup, which was vacated by Jose Trevino.  He has continued his impressive at-bats during spring.  The only concern is that he, like Wells, is a lefty hitter.  Typically, teams prefer to have one catcher as a righty and the other as a lefty.  Escarra's good offense and impressive defense should easily overtake that concern.  He's another one who has certainly shown a very good Spring Training output.  Again, that can sometimes be unworthy of consideration, but with his impressive minor league stats, he has already demonstrated he's worthy to be on the 26-man roster on March 27 (opening day)!

Everson Pereira

He had a small sampling in the majors last year.  Based on that and his AAA experiences, I personally am unsure what to expect at this early point.  He may be considered to try out for the outfield if Domínguez fails.