MLB
Gregorius To Have Tommy John Surgery
The Yankees announced that shortstop Didi Gregorius will undergo Tommy John Surgery on his right elbow. He will miss part of the 2019 season.
Yankee General manager Brian Cashman stated that Didi had a partial elbow tear that they were aware of when he was acquired from the Diamondbacks in 2014. Cashman described “the finishing of something that was a sleeping giant I guess”. He would not give a specific timeframe for return, saying it was best to stay general. He did say most likely some point during the 2019 season.
Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone said he believes Gregorius hurt his elbow during an ALDS game at Fenway Park while throwing a ball in. He said Gregorius felt something but played through the end of the series. As we all know, the Red Sox won the ALDS three games to one and are on their way to the ALCS against the Astros.
Gregorius hit .268 with 27 home runs and 86 RBIs in the Yankees’ powerful lineup.
Yankees’ Future
So, what does this mean for the 2019 Yankees? Boone said that the Yanks could go with Gleyber Torres to start at short for the beginning of the season. But the more fun option to write about is the potential for the Yankees to go after Manny Machado in free agency. Gregorius is heading into the final year of his contract in 2019. He will be 29 and the year will be shortened by injury.
With the Yankees in full win-now mode, Gleyber Torres might not be the most reliable option at shortstop to achieve that goal and overthrow powerhouses like the Astros and Red Sox. We know that Cashman and the Yankees are not afraid to go after the big fish, trading for Stanton the last offseason. With this news about Didi, don’t be surprised to hear the Yankees heavily involved in Machado talks this offseason.
Photo credit to Jose Diaz via Flickr
