Yanks’ stud Sanchez headed to DL
Sanchez to DL, Yanks fall to 1-4 as atrocious start snowballs
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BALTIMORE — It is almost impossible for a season to slip away in the first six days, but if it can be done, the Yankees are the betting favorite.
Hours after third-place hitter Greg Bird couldn’t play due to a bruised right ankle, the Yankees watched Gary Sanchez exit Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Orioles in front of 38,916 at Camden Yards with a strained right biceps muscle injury severe enough to land him on the 10-day disabled list.
“Today wasn’t ideal, losing the lead and Gary getting hurt … it’s like a kick in the stomach,’’ Brett Gardner said of the Yankees blowing a three-run lead, dropping a third straight game and sliding to 1-4.
Swinging at a 3-2 pitch and fouling it off starting the fifth inning, the powerful Sanchez immediately clutched his right arm and was attended to by assistant trainer Michael Schuk on the field before vanishing into the dugout on the way to the trainers’ room. Sanchez was examined by an Orioles doctor and will undergo tests Monday or Tuesday at home.
“It feels like a pull, when you pull a muscle,’’ said Sanchez, who goes on the shelf hitting .150 (3-for-20). “Injuries are part of the game.’’
As for the game, Masahiro Tanaka’s second start was better than the first, but nowhere near good. In five innings the staff ace gave up three runs and six hits and has an ERA of 11.74.
With the game in the balance, manager Joe Girardi made the call to bring Dellin Betances into with the Yankees leading, 4-3, in the seventh and watched Betances miss with a 0-1 curveball to Mark Trumbo that resulted in an RBI single to tie the score, 4-4. Two batters later a slider was sent to right field by Hyun Soo Kim for what turned out to be the game-winning run.
Though losing Sanchez for any amount of time — likely for longer than 10 days because it is the catcher’s throwing arm — is damaging, it could have been worse, according to general manager Brian Cashman.
“Yeah it’s the muscle. Thank god, if it was the tendon it would be a very serious issue,’’ Cashman said. ‘’They say it’s a strain. We don’t know the time frame yet but it’s his throwing arm, which is a cannon. So we have to protect him. That’s the most important thing. It’s unfortunate but it gives an opportunity for [Austin] Romine. [Kyle] Higashioka will be in here. Just try to find a way to hold the fort until he gets back.’’
That is a lot easier said then done when the best hitter on the team exits.
Based on the way he tore it up in the final two months of last year when Sanchez belted 20 homers and the fact he was inserted into the No. 2 spot in the lineup, it is clear the Yankees were counting on him to be a force at the plate. Now, nobody knows when Sanchez will play again.
“He’s a big piece but it takes a village. We can’t rely on any one individual. We just have to get ourselves back in the win column,’’ Cashman said.
That won’t be easy without Sanchez. The hope is Bird can play by Monday’s home opener. Then there is shortstop Didi Gregorius on the 10-day DL with a right shoulder problem. The Yankees believe he will be back by the start of May, but there are no guarantees.
Watching Saturday’s game, knowing how shaky the rotation has been, understanding Sanchez is going to be missing for a while, Bird has an ankle problem and Gregorius remains out, the feeling that a season already is off the rails isn’t that far-fetched.