The New York Yankees appeared to lose Paul Goldschmidt to injury when he was forced to leave a spring training game early on Monday. But New York received a rare bit of positive injury-related news in the latest update regarding the veteran first baseman.
While Goldschmidt received treatment on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone expects him back in the lineup by Thursday or Friday, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch on X.
Goldschmidt attempted to clear the air after his injury scare, reassuring fans that he was only dealing with a sore back and wouldn’t need to miss significant time. But given the recent injury epidemic in New York, Boone’s declaration is particularly meaningful.
The Yankees expect Paul Goldschmidt to play Opening Day
The Yankees will open the season with DH Giancarlo Stanton on the IL due to issues with both elbows and third baseman DJ LeMahieu out with a calf strain. However, the team’s rotation has been hit especially hard. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will miss the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil will be sidelined for months with a high-grade lat strain.
Most recently Clark Schmidt missed a start with a shoulder injury. While Schmidt avoided a serious injury – he’s expected to throw batting practice this week – he’s unlikely to be available at the start of the season.
The spate of injuries has left some big questions for Opening Day. Filling out the rotation will be challenging as well. Carlos Rodon was named the Yankees Opening Day starter. He and newcomer Max Fried will need to step up and carry the rest of the rotation, which will likely include Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco and rookie Will Warren at the start of the season.
Despite New York’s obvious need for an additional starter, the team has been hesitant to add a pitching replacement. The Yankees believe Warren, the team’s fifth-ranked prospect, can contribute this season. If the 25-year-old righty fails to produce solid innings early on, New York might get more serious about acquiring a starter.
Goldschmidt is entering his 15th year in the majors. He’s been durable over his career, playing in at least 151 games in every full season since 2014. He was the NL MVP in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals. After losing Juan Soto in free agency and getting hit hard by the injury bug, the Yankees are relying on Goldschmidt having a healthy, productive season.
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