Luke Voit

New York Yankees: Luke Voit is Nearing Return

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

After New York Yankees’ slugger, Luke Voit was diagnosed with a Sports Hernia, many believed that he would miss a big part of the season heading into October. However, recent news shows that there is positive progress and he could be back in pinstripes sooner than later.

Early Monday morning, Voit was at Yankee stadium running through some agility and conditioning drills. Following the workout, he said he felt the hernia mostly when sprinting and during the drills, he had no pain. Voit is extremely optimistic on a healthy return with no surgery.

https://twitter.com/MaxWildstein/status/1160974735544594435

Before the doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, Voit said, “I’m optimistic with how I’m feeling. Obviously, this week will be a big week with all the baseball activities and stuff. But I’m pretty excited by how I feel.”

More baseball activities were reported to occur following the workout. He’ll most likely be getting cage work and fieldwork before preparing for a triple-A rehab game. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that when the club takes their West Coast trip, Voit will either go to Tampa or Scranton. He’ll first complete full workouts before heading into a real game.

This season Voit is batting .278 with 19 home runs and 54 runs batted in. He’s been one of the biggest contributors offensively this season. With Voit and teammate Edwin Encarnacion sidelined, Mike Ford from triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders has taken the first base role. Voit will most likely return late August or early September. The Yankees will definitely need his offensive help during the postseason.

New York Yankees: Great news for Luis Severino and Luke Voit

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New York Yankees, Luis Severino

The New York Yankees have been plagued by the injury bug this season, but two influential players might be eyeing a return within the next few weeks. Both pitcher Luis Severino and first baseman Luke Voit are mounting a comeback.

Severino, who has missed the entire season up to this point, enjoyed his second bullpen throwing session, tossing 29 pitches, varying between his fastball, slider, changeup, and breaking ball, per NJ.com.

The New York Yankees need reinforcements badly:

The Yankees are in dire need of his assistance with CC Sabathia nursing inflamed knees and a slew of other starters playing through minor ailments. Gaining back their ace for the post-season would be a huge boost, especially after general manager Brian Cashman failed to sign a starter at the trade deadline.

“(The pitches are) coming out very good. I didn’t think it would be going that well, but it’s going good,” Severino said. “This is the first time I’ve been excited about a bullpen in a long time. It’s getting exciting.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone watched on as his top starter eased his way into a second successful showing:

“A very encouraging bullpen for him, thought he looked very good. Sevy continues to feel strong,” Boone said. “Sevy’s fun to watch. He’s special, I thought it was coming out really well. His changeup, thought he had a good feel for and then spun a few at the end. I thought it was a really good sign for him in his second bullpen, after having that general fatigue, soreness after his first bullpen, to just roll right into this and look like Sevy was nice.”

Aside from the starting rotation woes, Voit, who would fit right back into the lineup with the Yankees losing Edwin Encarnacion to a fractured wrist, is also feeling good.

“I’m optimistic with how I’m feeling,” Voit stated on Monday. “Obviously, this week will be a big week with all the baseball activities and stuff. But I’m pretty excited by how I feel.”

Voit has been participating in agility drills and running frequently. A sports hernia put his season in doubt as surgery was a possibility. Thus far, it seems as if he will avoid that dreaded reality. He’s expected to begin hitting again this week and working his way back towards a full route. Of course, they will be careful with his workload, but it seems as if the Yankees will gain their starting first baseman back, a huge positive with Mike Ford filling it and struggling offensively.

The New York Yankees have a huge problem at first base

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

As if the starting pitching rotation wasn’t enough the New York Yankees are now dealing with significant injuries at the first place position, a spot that has been relatively healthy this season.

Edwin Encarnacion who the Yankees traded for a few months back, fractured his right wrist and was placed on the 10-day injured list. He will miss a chunk of time which puts the position in jeopardy. Luke Voit, who suffered a sports hernia during a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks will also be out for quite a while, potentially the entire season.

There is no timetable for a turn in regards to either player, so the question is, who will step up and supplement the loss of two productive players?

Thus far, Mike Ford has been the player of choice along with DJ Lemahieu, who played 18 innings at the position against the Boston Red Sox in a double-header. It’s expected that LeMahieu will be the primary option, but he doesn’t have the experience necessary to handle the corner if the Yankees make a deep post-season run.

They need either Voit or Encarnacion to return before that reality hits them in the face. Aide from Ford and LeMahieu, third baseman Gio Urshela is also capable of playing at first, which would be a last resort situation.

“That’s our first basemen right now [Ford],” Boone said. “Obviously, Gio can go there if we’re in a pinch and need something, but right now, going forward, DJ and Ford would get the bulk of the reps at first.”

Ford, who has looked the part offensively, will fill in on off days for DJ. The former Rockie has been fantastic moving around the infield as a utility player, compensating for injuries or poor play. Hitting a monstrous .336 while playing multiple defensive positions is impressive, and the Yankees will need his help down the stretch.

However, LeMahieu is coming off a minor groin injury and will need to proceed with caution.

“The fact DJ was able to avoid the IL was a big thing and we wanted to be mindful too that he is coming back from something and we want to make sure that we take care of him as well,” Boone stated.

 

New York Yankees: Luke Voit Injury Update

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

New York Yankees’ young slugger Luke Voit was diagnosed with a sports hernia after going through an MRI a few weeks ago whereafter he was placed on the 10-day injured list. This injury could require the Yankee first basemen to undergo surgery which would make him miss around six weeks. However, the decision for surgery would probably have been made already so there is hope for Voit.

A few days ago on August 2nd, it was reported that Voit received a cortisone injection and will be re-evaluated next week to determine if surgery is needed, per Lindsay Adler of The Athletic. This shot is ultimately used to lessen pain and inflammation in a specific area of the body. Teammate Giancarlo Stanton was given a cortisone shot earlier in the year for his shoulder injury and returned to play not too long after.

Voit met with Meredith Marakovits for YESNetwork where he said, “Honestly I’m feeling really good, so I’m pretty optimistic.” When asked about the possibility of coming back for the playoffs if he underwent the surgery he continued, “I would say it’s uncertain, it’s about a six-week timetable so it’d be right around it. It just depends on when I get it or if I get it. Hopefully, I don’t have to get it and maybe I can do it in the offseason.”

What is a sports hernia?

The cause of a sports hernia is from athletic activities that involve planting the feet and twisting with maximum exertion which can cause a tear in the soft tissue of the lower abdomen or groin (OrthoInfo). Pretty much every movement in baseball involves twisting and planting the feet (ex. hitting and throwing). Essentially, a sports hernia is a strain or tear of any soft tissue in the lower abdomen and groin area.

Why New York Yankees should call up Clint Frazier

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New York Yankees, Clint Frazier

With veteran outfielder Aaron hicks hurting his throwing arm over the weekend against the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees should elect to call up Clint Frazier.

While it is unlikely they do so for mysterious reasons, Frazier seems to be the obvious choice despite also losing first baseman, Edwin Encarnacion.

The veteran player fractured his wrist, attempting to evade a wayward slider. The hairline fracture could keep Encarnacion out multiple weeks and states that the pain is excessive. More so than the past injury of similar severity.

However, with Hicks on the injured list, it argues that Frazier earns the right to be pulled up over Mike Ford, who has also been effective in AAA ball. Alternatively, Ford is the right decision due to the injuries picked up by Encarnacion and Luke Voit, both of the Yankees starting-caliber first basemen.

If Aaron hicks is out for ten days or more, Clint Frazier may get the call to perform once more at the top level. Ultimately, it comes down to Aaron Boone and how he wants to utilize the quality on the team. Ford is more of a power hitter but struggled in his debut earlier in the year.

With 23 home runs on the year, Ford offers another element to the lineup in comparison to Frazier. He fits well in a slugger-centric batting order for the Yankees, especially with Encarnacion on the IL list with a fractured wrist.

Frazier has been working tirelessly to improve his defense, working in the outfield strictly during his 6 1/2 weeks at Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre. He has been hitting extremely well, which was a similar trend to when he was playing with the first team.

Clint currently holds a .368 batting average over 19 at-bats and his last four games. His total percentage, however, is .257 with six homers and 17 RBIs. While it is a mystery as to why Frazier hasn’t been favored in recent weeks, the Yankees might not have a choice but to utilize his offense of talents once more.

New York Yankees: Voit And Hale To The IL

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

In case you missed it, the New York Yankees placed first baseman Luke Voit and reliever David Hale on the 10 day injured list.  Voit is on the IL with a sports hernia, and Hale is on with a lumbar strain.

Yankee skipper Aaron Boone didn’t have much concern about Hale, saying he should be back in no time. But things get a bit more complicated with Voit.

The team is in a 24-48 hour waiting period with him to see how the injury repairs itself in that time span. Then, they will look at it again to decide if he will need surgery. If he does, he likely wouldn’t be healthy again until the postseason. If results come back clean, he should be ready once the 10 days end

Voit sustained the injury on a swing in Tuesday’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. We don’t know exactly how Hale was injured.

Recalls

To fill the two roster spots, the team has recalled Breyvic Valera and Jonathan Holder from AAA.

Valera is a versatile infielder who the team claimed off of waivers early in the season from the Giants, then proceeded to rake in AAA. Valera appeared in a Yankee uniform last time Voit was sidelined by an injury, so in mid-July.

Holder is still a work in progress after his poor start to 2019, but has fired a scoreless major league inning since initially being sent down in June.

It’s good that Hale should be back soon because he has made a quiet but great impact in the bullpen. Losing Voit for the rest of the season could be devastating, and here’s to hoping for positive results.

New York Yankees: Luke Voit Ok After Injury Scare

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

On Saturday, Luke Voit and the New York Yankees had another injury scare, but everything seems to be alright.

In the fourth inning of the Yankees 11-5 rout of the Colorado Rockies, Voit was up to bat when he took a 92 mph fastball off the face. The pitch looked like it grazed his shoulder first, but it wasn’t enough to significantly slow the ball down.

The ball made contact with his face somewhere between his lip and his jaw. However, Voit showed his toughness and stayed in the game and scored a run later in the inning.

Due to precautionary reasons, the Yankees took him out of the game afterwards. They were winning big already, and they didn’t want to risk anything with his injury and the blazing heat. The high was about 100 degrees in the Greatest City on Earth, with a real-feel of about 110 degrees.

Voit had an MRI and it came back clean, and he passed through concussion protocol quickly.

Also because of heat, the Yankees decided to remove Aaron Judge in the sixth inning, and his replacement was the red-hot Mike Tauchman. Tauchman has been batting well over .320 in his last 20+ games as a Yankee, and drove in another run against his former team.

Sunday will be just as hot in New York, so it’s crucial that players and fans hydrate so they don’t suffer from heat exhaustion or a heat stroke.

Luke Voit has proven his toughness again, but more importantly he is ok after an injury scare today.

 

New York Yankees: Luke Voit Is Back

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

After missing just eight games due to an abdominal injury, New York Yankees first-baseman Luke Voit has returned from the IL and will be in the lineup on Saturday, batting third.

Voit was batting .280 on the season with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. The Yankees sent Breyvic Valera to AAA as the corresponding move.

Voit will be facing Clayton Richard in his return. He is 2-for-5 off of him in his career. Richard has just one win on the season.

JA Happ will be going for the Yankees, looking to start his second half strong.

The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 4-0 on Friday to open the second half, led by a three run double off of the bat of Edwin Encarnacion. Domingo German picked up his 11th win of the season, good for second in the AL, surprising after almost a month on the IL. Leading the league in wins is former Yankee Lance Lynn.

Luke Voit returning to the lineup makes the team even stronger, literally, and boosts the team morale.

New York Yankees: Luke Voit Expected To Return Following All-Star Break

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

It is expected that New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit will return from the IL on Friday to face the Toronto Blue Jays to help kick off a long homestand. He landed on the IL with an abdominal strain suffered in the series against the Boston Red Sox in London.

Voit was batting .280 in 293 at-bats prior to landing on the IL. He has 17 home runs, 50 RBIs, an OBP of almost .400 and a slugging of just over .500 in 2019.

The right handed power hitter was also nine for his last 16 before injuring himself, including four hits in four tries against Boston in the game that he eventually was injured in.

Once he is healthy, the Yankees can stop sending guys up and down to fill his spot. In just six days, the Yankees have had three different guys fill that spot: Daniel Camarena, Mike Ford, and Breyvic Valera.

Ford was returned to Scranton in enough time so he can participate in the AAA all-star game and home run derby. Him and Valera have been tearing up AAA this season, and the Yankees seem to keep finding guys with potential that produce.

It will be good to have Luke Voit back, but it’s also good knowing that there are viable replacements on the 40-man roster if things go south.

New York Yankees: Luke Voit To The IL

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Luke voit

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit will be heading to the 10 day IL with what the team is calling “a slight abdominal strain”. Voit injured himself in the first game against the Boston Red Sox in London while running the bases.

Because of how minor the injury is and the timing of it, Voit will likely miss just six games. He should be ready to play the Toronto Blue Jays following the all-star break.

To replace him, the Yankees recalled Mike Ford from AAA. Ford, a 26 year old Princeton alumn, is batting .318 with 19 home runs in just 59 games with Scranton. He was selected to the AAA all-star game and was scheduled to participate in the AAA home run derby.

Ford has five big league hits, and one of those is a home run. He will return to AAA once Voit is healthy.

Since the Yankees don’t play next week but some minor league teams do, it will be interesting to see if the team sends Voit to the minors for work or just rests him during the four day break.

Two Notes

-Fun fact about Mike Ford: He was the 2013 Ivy League Player Of The Year as a pitcher. He was 6-0 with an ERA of 0.98 in 64 innings, and went undrafted that June.

-In other first baseman news, Kendrys Morales has cleared waivers and the Yankees have released him.