When Gio Urshela Is Expected Back From His Hamstring Injury
NEW YORK — Gio Urshela will be placed on the injured list Tuesday, but manager Aaron Boone is encouraged about the status of the third baseman's injured hamstring.
Urshela underwent an MRI on Monday and after New York's 7-1 loss to the Orioles, Boone revealed the diagnosis warranted a trip to the IL.
"Gio's between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 strain," Boone said. "He's actually doing pretty well. So we can backdate it a couple days. He'll continue to kind of ramp up here in the next several days, and hopefully it'll just be another week or eight days or so."
The third baseman was taken out of Thursday night's romp against the Rays in Tampa Bay in the seventh inning and hasn't been in the starting lineup ever since. Urshela has been summoned off the bench two times, pinch-hitting in the series against the Marlins, but never stayed in the game.
In fact, when Urshela reached on a pinch-hit single on Friday, Boone brought a pitcher—Nestor Cortes—in to run the bases for him, not wanting to sacrifice another position player off the bench in a National League park.
The 29-year-old is having another solid campaign this year, hitting .274 (85-for-310) over 84 games with a team-leading 16 doubles.
Urshela battled a lingering left knee injury earlier in the season, but the only other time he was sidelined for an extended period was his trip to the COVID-19 injured list last month, testing positive for the virus. He wound up missing eight games, part of New York's second COVID outbreak that touched a total of six players.
In his place, Boone has used utility man Tyler Wade at third base and a mix of DJ LeMahieu and Rougned Odor at the hot corner as well. Expect more of the same until Urshela is able to return midway through the month of August.
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