Doc to check out Gleyber’s elbow
OAKLAND — The worst may be yet to come. Gleyber Torres will see Yankees’ team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad today, and the team is bracing for the possibility that its top prospect could be out longer than a week, a team official confirmed.
Torres was placed on the 7-day minor-league disabled list on Sunday with a hyperextended left elbow. X-rays were negative. The 20-year-old infielder suffered the injury as he slid awkwardly into home in Triple-A Scranton’s game on Saturday in Buffalo. He left the game in obvious pain.
In 81 at-bats since his promotion from Double-A Trenton, Torres is hitting .309/.406/.457 with two homers and 16 RBI.
Brian Cashman said recently on the Michael Kay Show that if the Yankees have an infield need, it would be fellow prospect Tyler Wade, not Torres, who would get the call.
On Sunday, Torres tweeted: “Thank you all for your good wishes. I feel better today just have to rest! #GleyberGood”
CHAPMAN TAKES FLIGHT
Joe Girardi heard some wonder why the Yankees would have Aroldis Chapman fly all the way out to Oakland for only one game before heading back to New York.
“I just think that if you’re a player that is being paid to play, when you’re eligible, you show up,” Girardi said before the Yankees lost, 4-3, to the A’s. Chapman pitched 1-2-3 eighth inning in his return after being placed on the DL in mid-May with rotator cuff inflammation. “This is something that I’ve heard from a couple different people about. ‘You’re going to fly him across the country for one day?’ How many divisions have been lost by one game in the course of history? How many playoff spots have not been guaranteed because of one game?
“Yeah, it’s not ideal to be all the way a out here. But he had a travel day (Saturday) where he didn’t play, and all of our other players had a travel day where they played that day. If you have people available who are the best, you want them here.”
Prior to landing on the DL, Chapman had seven saves in eight chances, allowing five runs over 12.2 innings while striking out 21 batters.
“(His return) is big. He said he was rusty (in his rehab outings) and I thought he looked pretty good to me today,” Girardi said. “It’s a big power arm to have back, and it lengthens our bullpen.”
THIS AND THAT
Gary Sanchez (groin) returned to the starting lineup and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. … Aaron Hicks (leg) has not played since injuring himself on Thursday night. … Matt Holliday returned after missing Saturday’s game due to an allergic reaction and homered. He has now homered on both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this season. He is the fourth Yankee in history to accomplish the rare but fun feat.