Voit hopes to avoid season-ending hernia surgery
Luke Voit is optimistic he can avoid surgery that would likely cost him the rest of this season, but said he won't know until next week. Speaking for the first time since he was placed on the injured list with a sports hernia, Voit admitted he had been dealing with the issue since he was put on the IL with an abdominal strain last month.
“I feel really good, pretty optimistic. Obviously we'll see how this week goes. I haven't ran yet,” Voit said after the Yankees' 4-2 win over the
Red Sox Friday night. “I rode the bike today and did some other core activation stuff, so, you know, hopefully, it feels good. If not, I can always opt for surgery to.
“As of right now, everything is feeling good, I guess we'll see how it is after a week.”
Voit received a cortisone shot and the Yankees said it will take a week to see if that will be enough for him to be able to play with the hernia. If he opts for surgery, there is a four to six-week recovery time. That does not include Voit having to get back to game
ready condition. That would put him right up against the end of the regular season.
“I would say it’s uncertain. It’s six-week timetable. That would be right around it,” Voit said. “It depends on when I get it and if I get it and hopefully I don’t even have to do it and maybe I can do it in the off season too.”
DIDI'S DAY-TO-DAY
Didi Gregorius was out of the lineup with a sore left hand for Friday night’s series opener against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are hoping to avoid a stint on the injury list by resting him.
“His wrist is good. It’s his finger – his knuckle area – he’s got a strain in there, so he’s day to day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Friday’s series opener against the Red Sox at the Stadium. “He’s pretty sore today. We’re hoping to avoid an IL situation, but we’ll just kind of see how that unfolds now over the next couple days.”
Wednesday, Gregorius rolled over the wrist after he gloved a groundball, He was immediately in obvious pain,with Boone and head trainer Steve Donohue going out to see him. But he remained in the game.
“It happened on that play. So he hit his wrist and he caught his finger there,” Boone explained. “The wrist is fine now. (The finger) is still sore.”
SANCHEZ SOON
Gary Sanchez was on the field for early batting practice on Friday, the first time he has hit on the field since going on the IL July 24 with a groin strain. Sanchez would be eligible to come off the IL on Saturday and while the catcher said he feels good, he will not be activated.
“He won’t be a player for us tomorrow, but he’s definitely close,” Boone said. “I think he hit today. He’s done all of his catching stuff. He’ll run touch bases tomorrow and do his arc running and if all goes well there, then we’ll probably he close to having a decision which way to go. But I would say he’s very close to being an option.” Sanchez said he caught Domingo German’s bullpen on the offday Thursday. He ran straight sprints on Wednesday. He is not sure if the Yankees will want him to go do a minor league rehab game.
“I mean, I feel good right now. At the end of the day, I don’t control that,” Sanchez said. “Whatever plan they set, it’s the one I follow. As you know my position, they might want to see me catch and do some other stuff, the usual, the typical as player in my position, a catcher.”
SABATHIA SHOULDER
After a report that veteran lefthander CC Sabathia had his shoulder checked out, Boone dismissed the concern. Sabathia is on the IL with right knee inflammation.
“He’s fine. He’s responded pretty well to the injections in the knee,” Boone said. “We’re hoping that it’s a shorter stint. The shoulder is fine.”
With a doubleheader on Saturday and Sabathia on the IL, the Yankees are still figuring out their rotation. German will pitch on Saturday, most likely the afternoon game, Boone said.
“Then, we’ll see,” Boone said about the second game.