Be ‘benefits’ if there was a mercy rule
ing using Nestor in a multiple inning role there, we didn’t want to do that last night. He probably could have done it, but we value what he could do for us through the weekend so now you are sitting there weighing that decision. Certainly for us, we have leaned on our pen as much as we can and it is such an important part of our team, that’s a factor.”
GARDNER’S GRAB
With a runner on second and the Yankees protecting a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, Brett Gardner saved the game. The veteran outfielder got a jump on Francisco Lindor’s line drive into the gap and made a spectacular play that stopped Cleveland from scoring. As far as Aaron Judge is concerned, Gardner gave the Yankees their 3-2 win on Friday night.
“He won us the game right there. That’s the whole game,” Judge said. “Rarely do you win or lose a ballgame in the ninth inning — a lot of them are a big inning in the first where you score seven or you get big hits in the fifth or the sixth, so game-winning catches like that are big.”
Gardner was brought back this season basically to be a fourth outfielder and a steady presence in the clubhouse. With injuries to Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Judge this season, however, he’s been forced into an everyday role.
And he’s responded with big plays, like that one Friday night.
VOIT MAKING PROGRESS
Luke Voit is confident he will not need surgery to repair his sports hernia. The Yankees slugger will begin his journey back to the lineup next week when he reports to Scranton to continue workouts, and hopes to progress to minor league rehab games by the end of the week.
“It will be kind of like spring training, just get used to taking (batting practice) every day, grounders, getting workouts in and then I believe I’ll play Thursday or Friday,” Voit said before Friday’s game against Cleveland at the Stadium. “I don’t know for sure yet, depends on how this next week goes leading up to it.”
Voit, however, is confident he is past the point of where he could need surgery, a point he says he reached at the beginning of this week.
“That first day you saw me running, I was like, ‘Wow, finally.’ There was no pain, I feel good. I wasn’t sore after workouts or anything,” Voit said. “Even when I was lifting weights and stuff or doing other strength and core activities having to do with that area.”
Voit has been on the injured list since July 31, but has been battling this issue since before the All-Star break. He missed eight games after suffering what the Yankees then said was an abdominal strain and came back without much power. In 55 at-bats, Voit hit .268/.388/.411 with two home runs and four RBI. Before the injury he was hitting .280/ .393/.509 with 17 homers and 50 RBI in 293 at-bats.
Voit has had an injection, likely a platelet-rich plasma injection, to try and heal the strained tendon that caused the hernia. He has also done core strengthening to try and get back. The Yankees have been encouraged by his progress.