Shorthanded Yankees Limping to the Finish Line

Decimated by injuries, the New York Yankees offense has been shut out in three straight contests, most recently Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Three-quarters of the New York Yankees usual starting infield were not available in Saturday’s second straight shut out by the Toronto Blue Jays. The lineup continues to look completely toothless, with Yankees manager Joe Girardi forced to rely heavily on his bench and September call ups.

As if that weren’t bad enough, outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks have struggled since returning from injury, causing many to speculate that they are not yet 100% either.

Already eliminated from the division race by Friday’s 9-0 drubbing, the Yankees are desperately clinging to their slim Wild Card chances, but the sheer number of injuries to key starters has made any chance of a playoff push increasingly unlikely.

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Third baseman Chase Headley is back on the shelf after a brief return to New York’s lineup. He was 0-for-7 during in his last two starts since missing time with a stiff back. Joe Girardi told reporters prior to Saturday’s game that he thought the back issue was affecting his performance both at the plate and in the field.

Headley sat out three games earlier in the week because of discomfort in his back. This is nothing new for the 32-year-old, who has suffered from consistent back issues dating back to his days with the Padres. Indeed, many pundits cited them as a reason for his offensive decline following his breakout 2012 season.

With two years left on his contract and no clear options to replace him on the farm, Headley’s back problems should definitely worry Yankees fans, as unpopular as he is with many.

Mark Teixeira also wasn’t available to play because of the neck soreness he’s been dealing with off an on all year, but ultimately that may be saving Joe Girardi from himself, as he was finally forced to give rookie Tyler Austin a start at first base following an inexcusably long layoff.

The final missing infielder was Starlin Castro. There have been conflicting reports about whether Castro will return this season, but the second baseman did take batting practice before Saturday’s game and Girardi expects him to test his injured hamstring with some running in the near future. He alluded to the fact that Castro could be available to pinch hit at some point in the series.

After going 3-10 in their last 12 contests, the Yankees are now all but eliminated from the playoffs with just eight games left to play. There is no real reason to push their veterans to come back from these injuries and risk exacerbating them.

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It has been a long season for many Bombers. It’s probably time to shut down any vets suffering from bumps and bruises, and just use the remaining games to let the kids play.