Hey Cashman, hold the phone

Injuries show why Yankees should hang on to young bats

NEW YORK — Monday brought good news that Aroldis Chapman, who had tested positive for COVID-19 on July 11 during summer camp, had been activated by the Yankees.

“He’ll be the closer … save situation, he’ll be in there tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees looked to complete a fourgame sweep and extend their winning streak to 10 against the pathetic Red Sox. “We’ll build him up slowly this first week, probably doing no back-to-backs, monitor him.”

While Chapman was away from the team, he built a weight room in his Manhattan apartment. Yet as the Aug. 31 trade deadline approaches in this bizarre 60-game season, the weight shifts to the front office and the shoulders of Brian Cashman. Fans are quick to call general managers dumbbells when trades fail — failure to Yankee fans is not winning a 28th World Series championship — so eyes are on Cashman to put the Yankees in position to win their first title since 2009.

Yet as speculation grows about trading Clint Frazier and/or Miguel Andujar, here’s a word of caution. Beware the trade! Wear the mask to prevent COVID-19, which fortunately Chapman only had a mild case, and not to try to hard to hold up another team.

The Yankees’ three best hitters have fallen to the injured list like pinstriped dominoes. This may well be Brett Gardner’s last season with the Yankees. And the club needs to decide if they’re going to re-sign D.J. LeMahieu, completing his two-year, $24 million deal with the club. He’ll be looking for major bucks.

Different kinds of question marks. But important ones.

And, suddenly, it’s like Dr. Yogi would have said: It’s deju IL all over again. The Yankees survived a record number of lost manpower games in 2019 to win 103 games. It’s

not the kind of feat you want to duplicate.

Yet, there was Giancarlo Stanton going on the injured list with a left hamstring strain running the bases on Aug. 8. Then Aaron Judge, who was launching balls marked to distant zip codes, went out with a right calf strain. On Saturday, LeMahieu sprained his left thumb on a sweeping, awkward swing and ended up on the IL.

“Words can’t really describe the disappointment I’ve had over this,” Stanton said Monday on a Zoom call. “I can’t dwell on it. I have to see what’s in front of me. There’s still a decent amount of the season and playoffs left. Obviously I’ve been in this situation before. It seems unreal at times.”

LeMahieu, leading the American League in hitting by 50 points at .411 from his leadoff spot, had to be the LeMost Underrated Player in Baseball playing with the Rockies. He arguably has become the Yankees’ most

indispensable position player over two seasons. Boone can reach into his deep roster for another bat with big pop, but LeMahieu is a hitting machine, clutch, consistent, and he can play Gold-Glove level defense at more than one position.

Boone said two doctors have evaluated LeMahieu’s thumb. They agree there is a sprain, but no fracture and the ligaments are intact. The Yankees also are going to consult the hand specialist who treated LeMahieu in 2018 when a similar injury left him with a small bone fracture in his thumb.

“We feel petty good about where it’s at right now,’’ Boone said.

How good? Boone is sticking with a 21⁄2 to 3 week time frame before he returns.

Who knew when LeMahieu came over from Colorado, we’d be saying he’s a more important acquisition than Stanton, who’s $26 million salary will grow to as much as $32 million in 2023 to 2025, and extend at least until 2027 (with a club option in 2028).

But, hey, before you can love Giancarlo he has to stay on the field. And that has been a Herculean task for Hercules. He had slimmed down during the offseason. He looked nimbler running the bases. In his first 54-plate appearances over 14 games, he was hitting .294 with a .453 OBP. Ten walks to go with three home runs and three doubles.

And then he gets hurt. Again. The prognosis is three to four weeks, but it’s a hamstring and they’re tricky.

Stanton only played 18 games in 2019. It was a biceps strain. Then a knee injury. He had a calf strain in spring training and would have started 2020 on the IL if not for COVID-19. Yes, he did play 158 games in 2018, his first year with the Yankees, but Stanton has played in 145 games in only four of his 11 major league seasons.

Stanton and Judge worked out together Monday. Stanton has gotten treatment to eliminate swelling and scar tissue. He has gotten in rehab exercises and workout in the

weight room.

“He’s not getting ready to do any baseball activities, but I would say this first week has progressed pretty well,” Boone said.

“For a week and two days out I feel pretty good,” Stanton said.

That’s pain-wise physically. As far as mentally, you could hear the pain in his voice. While it’s hard to compare this comeback, he said this one does not feel as difficult as his calf strain in spring training.

Look, the guy is honest. He said if he was a Yankee fan instead of a Yankee player, “Honestly, I would be disappointed. I am disappointed in myself. Just hold on tight. I’m working. I’m keeping a positive mindset. There’s no benefit in being negative or bringing people down around.

“But it’s been tough, to be honest. This is my life. I put a lot into this. It has been unbelievable. It’s a tough spot, but people have been in worse.”

On a Sunday Zoom call, meanwhile, Judge said he “begged” Boone to stay on the active roster. In a 60game season, missing one

game is like missing 2.7 in a regular 162-game campaign. He is eligible to return Saturday.

“I feel 100 percent,’’ Judge said. “I was trying to get them to give me a couple days (off), so I’d be ready (Monday).”

Judge left the game last Tuesday against the Braves and the MRI exam showed the mild calf strain. He said he felt tightness after the doubleheader on artificial turf of Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field.

“It usually beats up your legs playing on that turf,” Judge said on the Zoom call.

So he’s going to wear tennis shoes instead of cleats in the field at Tropicana from now on. He said they’re easier on the body and knees.

“I don’t need 10 days to feel good,” Judge said. “It’s tough being away, especially now, with Giancarlo and DJ out. I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated with the organization. This shows how much the organization cares for me. They don’t want me to go out there and push it. I’m frustrated with myself not being out

there.”

Boone said he had a lot of back and forth with Judge, who entered Monday with a major league leading nine homers. It’s hard he said on one hand to keep such a great competitor out, but it’s an easy decision when it’s a softtissue injury and don’t want it to become a major issue.

So maybe the tennis shoes in Tampa Bay is the key to health and the Yankees surviving injuries and holding off the Rays in the AL East. Stanton said he is going to “evaluate, re-evaluate and leave nothing unturned” to see why he has suffered through so many soft-tissue injuries.

In the meantime, those injuries are there. And as long as they are and with the future questions involving Gardner and LeMahieu, holding onto Frazier and Andujar — despite questions surrounding their potential, too — looks like the wise thing to do right now.