Voit to undergo surgery, will miss start of season
TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees lost the 2020 home run king to injury Saturday but added a lefty slugger who may help balance their lineup.
Luke Voit, who won the home run title last season on an injured foot, was diagnosed Friday night with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He will have surgery and is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season.
Due to Voit’s injury, the Yankees picked up the contract of outfielder/first baseman Jay Bruce, who had exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league deal on Thursday. The veteran with 318 career home runs will play regularly at first while Voit is out, but he can also play the corner outfield spots.
As of Saturday the Yankees expect Voit back before June. The move to put him on the injured list came just as time was running out on the Yankees’ ability to pick up Bruce’s contract
“He’s been pretty adamant that playing has been fine, just some of the swelling has returned, so that was a little frustrating for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Voit. “He wanted to get that looked at just to see what we’re dealing with in there and found a partial tear. So it was decision time over the last 24 hours about how you want to treat it and [he] ultimately decided on the surgery.
“And I guess that factored into the decision with Jay.”
Voit hit 22 home runs in the pandemic-abbreviated, 60-game 2020 season. He came into spring training feeling better, having played with plantar fasciitis all of last season.
Earlier this month, however, Voit tweaked his knee. Though he tried to play through it, Voit was not showing his power this spring. He slashed .219/.350/.281 with two doubles and no home runs. He struck out nine times in 32 at-bats.
Bruce, who will be 34 next month, had two home runs early this spring but faded down the stretch. He slashed .194/.242/.419 with a double with nine strikeouts in 31 at-bats.
Wilson throws: Justin Wilson threw Saturday for the first time since being shut down with shoulder tightness Monday. The lefthander said afterward he is not sure he will have to start the season on the injured list.
“I don’t think that’s been set in stone either way,” Wilson said. “I know that they’ve got a few things they want to see, a checklist, but it was a great step. It feels really fresh and I am in the right spot.”
Wilson left Monday night’s game after he could not get the shoulder to loosen up. An MRI showed “nothing actionable,” but he was shut down and treated with anti-inflammatories. Saturday, Wilson did about 80% of his throwing program.
“Today was the first day back throwing — got all the way up to 90 feet,” WIlson said. “So it was really normal.”
He’ll be back: Deivi Garcia was not deterred by Friday’s decision to send him to the minors. The right-hander, who impressed in his rookie season last year, knows he will put himself in a position to be the first starter called up when the Yankees need an extra arm.
“I know that if I keep doing my work and stay healthy, another opportunity is going to come, like last year,” Garcia said through translator Marlon Abreu. “It is up to me to stay with my work, keep doing what I need to do.”
Roster rounding out: After picking up the contract on Bruce, the Yankees released catcher Robinson Chirinos and utility man Derek Dietrich, the two other players in camp on minor-league contracts. Boone would not say the roster is set, however, so infielder Tyler Wade still is awaiting official confirmation.
“We’ll meet again, so I wouldn’t say necessarily,” Boone said when asked if the roster was set. “I mean, there could be more things [falling] in place. You never know.”
The Yankees also moved pitcher Clarke Schmidt to the 60-day injury list. He has been shut down since straining his elbow in his first bullpen of spring.