UPDATE: Aaron Boone told reporters on Friday morning that Bader will start the season on the IL with a left oblique strain, joining Carlos Rodon, Tommy Kahnle, Lou Trivino, and Frankie Montas as Yankees who will begin the regular season on the shelf.
Boone did not give a timeline for Bader's return, but after Saturday's game, Boone revealed that Bader would need six weeks before returning to action, putting April 20 on the calendar as the date for a potential return.
Harrison Bader will begin the season on the injured list with an oblique strain, per Aaron Boone. More details to come…
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) March 10, 2023
Thursday was already filled with deflating injury news for the Yankees, and it got a lot rougher after their spring training game against the Red Sox.
Harrison Bader is set to undergo testing in an attempt to diagnose a left oblique issue, and the Yanks will await an update on his status on Friday.
This comes after Brian Cashman revealed before Thursday’s game that Carlos Rodon, Lou Trivino, and Tommy Kahnle will all begin the season on the IL.
Bader, one of the team’s impact players in last year’s postseason, is expected to be a big contributor in 2023 given his offensive output since being traded to the Yanks, and his elite defense in center field. Bader’s superb defensive ability was part of the reason the team felt comfortable trying Aaron Judge in left field in order to get Giancarlo Stanton time in right field and, in turn, free up the DH spot.
Instead, the Yanks could be looking at starting the season without Bader, as oblique strains, if that is the diagnosis, takes weeks to recover from. If that’s the case, Aaron Hicks could be the starting center fielder, with Oswaldo Cabrera likely seeing time in the outfield.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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