Luke Voit Could Return From Injured List This Month
NEW YORK — Less than a week after Luke Voit landed on the injured list for the second time this season, the Yankees have a better idea of when the first baseman could return to the team.
Voit was placed on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain on May 26, just 12 games after he made his 2021 debut following left knee surgery this spring.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday afternoon that Voit rejoining the club later this month—before the calendar flips to July—is "very much in play."
"He's doing really well," Boone said. "Told me he actually feels great today. So we're probably looking at a few weeks left, hopefully."
Oblique injuries can sometimes turn often into extended stints on the sidelines. For instance, in 2019, Aaron Judge missed 54 games with a left oblique strain. Last season, catcher Kyle Higashioka was out for 23 games with a strain in his right oblique.
With New York's offense reeling, struggling each night to score runs, a healthy Voit would be a huge addition for this club. After all, the slugger led Major League Baseball with 22 home runs during the pandemic-shortened campaign a year ago.
In his dozen games before getting hurt again, Voit wasn't able to find his rhythm at the plate. The first baseman was hitting .182 (8-for-44), stroking one home run while striking out 15 times.
Boone was upbeat about the slugger's progress since the injury, though. It sounds like Voit could return sooner than the team anticipated.
"I think he's a little surprised how good he feels today," Boone explained. "He'll obviously ramp up a lot of stuff."
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