After another lackluster performance from the Yankee offense in Monday night’s loss to the Rangers, coupled with recent injuries to some key bats, it has become even more important for the bulk of the offense to finally break out of its six-week slump.
Improved starting pitching and a dominant bullpen have helped pull the Yanks back above .500 after a historically slow start to the season, but the offense, initially considered to be the team’s greatest strength, still isn’t clicking as the back end of May approaches. On Monday, the offense was shut down again in a 7-2 loss, this time at the hands of Jordan Lyles, who carried a 6.63 ERA into the start.
With Giancarlo Stanton now on the IL with a quad strain, and Aaron Hicks joining him due to a torn sheath in his wrist, those struggling bats are now under more pressure to start producing before a small sample size evolves into a narrative.
“Any time you have a guy or a couple guys go down, we’ve seen it the last few years,” Brett Gardner said after Monday’s loss. “It’s on me and some other guys to pick up the slack…the game doesn’t stop for anybody. Whenever anyone gets hurt, the game keeps going.”
Gardner has been one of those Bomber bats mired in a brutal slump for much of the season, but finally showed some life on Monday with two hits, including the team’s first triple of the season. But he represents one of four Yankees in Monday night’s lineup that have seen consistent at-bats this season, but carry a batting average below .200. Gary Sanchez and Kyle Higashioka, who combined to go 0-for-7 on Monday, are both batting .185, while Gardner raised his average to .188. Clint Frazier, who earned the starting left field role to begin the season after posting an OPS above .900 last season, continues to struggle, and is now hitting .151 after going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.
Stanton hits the IL tied for the team lead in RBI with 24, even with Aaron Judge, and is second on the team in home runs (9) and OPS (.882), both also trailing Judge. It represents a big loss for a team in need of offense now more than ever, while Hicks represents a big loss as well. The center fielder was hitting .345 over his last 10 games before being shut down with wrist soreness, and his absence means more at-bats for Gardner and Frazier who are both carrying OPS’s below .600.
The Yankees hope the return of Luke Voit can help light a fire in the lineup. Last year’s home run leader went deep on Monday, and now has a streak of three straight multi-hit games after going hitless in his first 10 at-bats following his return from knee surgery.
“I feel good about where Luke’s at,” Aaron Boone said. “Even in the first couple games when he wasn’t getting hits, I feel like physically, he looks really good, and he’s been on time for the most part. Now in the last few games we’ve really started to see him hit the ball hard.”
Voit will be a key piece to try and fill what has been a black hole at first base before he came off the IL. Jay Bruce retired after a brutal showing, both offensively and defensively, while Mike Ford struggled badly at the plate as well. While Stanton helped the Yanks go on a hot streak with a torrid 12-game stretch before getting injured, the Yanks hope Voit can provide a similar spark, and that Monday night is the start of that.
“It’s definitely nice to get that first one out of the way, and a no-doubter obviously,” Boone said. “I feel good about the way Luke’s trending at the plate and starting to get centered in, because he’s obviously a huge part of our offense, especially when we have a couple guys down.”
Gleyber Torres is another contributor the Yanks hope to have back soon, as he waits to turn in two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests. But the Yankees need offensive production outside of Judge and Gio Urshela soon, or the current injuries will be too much to overcome.
“No matter what your role is, you have to stay ready,” Gardner said. “We have to take that amongst ourselves. Guys like me and Clint that maybe haven’t had a great month and a half to start the season, with guys down…it’s time for us to step up and help the team in a big way, and we expect to do that.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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