Yankees’ Gregorius has injured shoulder, return is uncertain
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has a bruised right shoulder, ending his time at the World Baseball Classic and leaving his status for opening day in doubt.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn’t put on a timetable on a return, only saying, “He’s going to be sidelined for a bit.” The Yankees start the regular season April 2 at Tampa Bay.
It is not certain how or when Gregorius got hurt while helping the Netherlands reach the semifinals of the WBC.
He hit .348, driving in eight runs and scoring five in the tournament.
Gregorius had an MRI in Los Angeles on Sunday. He was returning to the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa and will be re-evaluated by team doctors.
Girardi said the doctor who initially examined Gregorius was “really encouraged by his strength.”
Gregorius is among a handful of major league players to leave their WBC team because of injuries.
Miami third baseman Martin Prado strained his hamstring while playing for Venezuela and returned to the Marlins over the weekend. All-Star catcher Salvador Perez of the Royals injured his knee in a home plate collision and also left the Venezuelan team.
The Yankees have backup shortstops Ronald Torreyes and Ruben Tejada in camp, along with utility man Tyler Wade and top prospect Gleyber Torres.
The 27-year-old Gregorius hit .276 with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs last season. The 20 homers more than doubled his career high in a single season.
“We saw the strides he took last year offensively, and defensively what he did — that’s a big loss,” Girardi said.