Several Yankees on the mend from injury
The good news for the Yankees keeps on coming during their nine-game winning streak. Several key players including Greg Bird and Tommy Kahnle are reportedly making progress on the injury front and could help further boost an already sky high team.
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Bird continues to recover from surgery after a bone spur discovered in his right ankle. He was able to take on-field batting practice as well as participate in sprints (an obvious good sign for the ankle when weight and pressure are successfully applied).
Kahnle was able to resume playing catch after being diagnosed with right shoulder and biceps tendonitis.
Jacoby Ellsbury has been dealing with injuries to his hip and heel after suffering a setback during his initial rehab. The outfielder has yet to participate in on-field activities, but was able to participate in tee-and-toss.
Brandon Drury is making significant progress since leaving the team to deal with the effects of possible recurring migraines. The newly-acquired third baseman was able to play in a doubleheader for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and collected two doubles.
Finally, Clint Frazier was also back in action for the Tampa Tarpons and even hit a home run as he recovers from a concussion suffered in Spring Training.
Several of these returning players will be thrust back into action with Kahnle being an integral part of the bullpen. Greg Bird will try to prove himself capable as an everyday player and escape the "injury prone" tag some fans and media members have given him.
The interesting case here is Drury, who was brought in this offseason to be the everyday third baseman, but the rapid rise of Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres creates a bit of a logjam in the infield. Andujar has been on fire at the plate posting a .300 batting average while hitting three home runs and driving in 12. He has also shown to be solid at third, something that was a question mark going into the season. Torres is also hitting right around .300 and is in place to be part of the Yankee infield for the next decade.
The Yankees appear to have an embarrassment of riches as they've compiled their winning streak without key members of the bullpen and starting lineup. But as we all know injuries occur throughout the season and Aaron Boone will have to continue to mix and match with his roster as the chase for the AL East crown continues.