Yankees' Luke Voit Returns to Injured List
NEW YORK — When Yankees manager Aaron Boone read off his lineup for Friday night's game against the Red Sox, it was no surprise to hear the manager omit certain names.
Aaron Judge and Gio Urshela are both officially on the COVID-19 injured list amid an outbreak that's resulted in six total players testing positive for the virus.
That in mind, the expectation was that several players in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre would get the call to the Bronx on Friday. Infielder Hoy Jun Park, catcher Rob Brantly, outfielder Greg Allen joined outfielder Trey Amburgey on the active roster.
When Boone revealed that Chris Gittens had been promoted from the RailRiders as well, penciled in to start at first base on Friday night, it was clear something else was wrong.
First baseman Luke Voit is headed back to the injured list for the third time this season, landing on the 10-day IL with left knee inflammation.
"He's got a bone bruise in his left knee. Had some swelling over the weekend and then had that drained, but there were still some lingering pain there," Boone said. "We'll probably get some kind of PRP [injection] potentially tonight and then hopefully, a few days of rest, then hopefully get going from there."
Voit was finally starting to find a rhythm at the plate over the last few weeks. The slugger—who led MLB in home runs with 22 during last year's shortened season—is hitting .281 (18-for-64) since June 22.
That included a career night in Seattle, racking up five hits against the Mariners.
As much as the slugger has been swinging a hot bat recently, Boone and the Yankees are all too familiar with losing Voit to injuries. The first baseman began the season on the sidelines after undergoing left knee surgery, a procedure to repair a partial meniscus tear. Shortly after Voit made his regular season debut—missing the first 34 games of the year—he went down with an oblique injury.
While Boone recognized that Voit's latest injury is in the same knee that was surgically operated on earlier this spring, he's not concerned about any correlation. Boone added that he's "optimistic" about Voit, but doesn't want to speculate about his timetable at this moment in time.
In the meantime, Gittens will get another shot to impress in pinstripes after going 2-for-21 in June while Voit was out with his oblique strain. Expect DJ LeMahieu to get some playing time at first base as well, as he has all year long.
MORE:
- COVID-19 Issues, Injuries Leave Yankees Short-Handed For Crucial Stretch
- How the Yankees' COVID-19 Outbreak Will Impact New York's Pursuit of a Playoff Spot
- Why Alex Rodriguez Isn’t High on the Yankees
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