Hale latest Yank to be placed on IL
Luke Voit wasn't the only loss on Wednesday. David Hale, who has been critical to the Yankees bullpen in multiinning situations, went on the injured list with a “lumbar spine strain.”
“Hopefully it's something that is a short-term thing. We'll backdate his IL stint starting three days ago. There's just a strain in there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday's game. “We're hoping it was better today and he might be available this weekend, but it's only slightly better today. So we'll see how it unfolds over the next couple of days. Hopefully, it's not a long thing.”
Hale got hit hard in his last appearance, allowing three earned runs in 2.2 innings work in a 10-5 loss to the Red Sox. He has a 2.89 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched over 19 appearances with the major league club this season.
The Yankees recalled Jonathan Holder to take his spot.
LET LEMAHIEU REST
DJ LeMahieu said he felt fine Wednesday morning, a day after he tested his strained left groin on the field. Still the Yankees stuck to their plan to rest him again Wednesday.
“I've been tempted to put him in there last night and today, but I feel like you've got to play a little bit of long game. You don't want to risk injuring him,” Boone said.
LeMahieu said he felt something in Thursday night's game in Boston, but was able to finish the game.
He is hitting .332/.517/.898 with 71 RBI and 15 home runs, playing in 95 of the Yankees 107 games this season. He leads the American League in batting average and is third in the majors. He is hitting a major-league leading .425 with runners in scoring position and is hitting an incredible .725 with 21 RBI with the bases loaded this season.
SABATHIA UPDATE
CC Sabathia, who went on the IL with right knee inflammation after his start on Saturday, had an injection to put lubricant in his arthritic knee Tuesday. The Yankees said they are more optimistic that his time on the IL will be relatively short.
“So, he got the injection, I believe yesterday. We're pretty optimistic it will be on the shorter side of things, hopefully,” Boone said “We'll see how the next few days unfold, but hopefully it's something a couple week thing. We'll see in the next few days.”
MINOR MOVE
The Yankees did pull off one deal at the deadline on Wednesday, a minor league swap of pitcher that Brian Cashman said was a depth move.
The Yankees got 20-year old lefty Alfredo Garcia from the Rockies for right-hander Joseph Harvey.
Garcia is 3-10 with a 6.00 ERA in 22 starts in A-ball.
“As you know, when you start with these major league contracts, with August and September, you start designating guys for assignment, you can't trade them now, it's really a waiver claim scenario,” Cashman said of the deal.