Dustin Ackley Injures Shoulder, DL Looks Likely

New York Yankees utilityman Dustin Ackley injured his shoulder while sliding back into first base during Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the Rays. He was removed from the game in the sixth, necessitating a early return to the field for Mark Teixeira, who has been battling neck spasms and wasn’t expected to rejoin the Yankee lineup until Monday at the earliest. Ackley will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

After the game, Ackley told reporters, “It felt like it kind of got jammed a little bit when I went back in. I couldn’t really tell exactly what happened. I’ve never had any shoulder things in the past before, so it’s hard for me to pinpoint what it was. A little sore now and it’s taken care of.”

While Ackley was relatively optimistic that the issue is minor, his manager seemed more concerned. When asked whether he expects the shoulder will land Ackley on the disabled list, Girardi said, “I think it’s a distinct possibility.”

With both of New York’s current first base options banged up, the team will have to begin searching for a backup plan. Even if Ackley doesn’t need a full two weeks to recover, they may put him on the DL rather than continue to play shorthanded because he is relatively replaceable. The Yankees’ primary in-house options to backup first are veterans Nick Swisher and Chris Parmelee with Triple-A Scranton.

Swisher is beloved by fans because of his role in the 2009 championship, but multiple knee surgeries have made even running to first painful to watch. Even including his hot start with the RailRiders, he’s hitting .243/.263/.366 (78 wRC+) in 137 International League PAs. As sad as it is, he looks cooked.

Parmelee has been a little more productive in 2016, although he has a history of mashing in Triple-A and then underwhelming in the big leagues. He has a .246/.333/.435 slash (126 wRC+) in 156 PAs. While that is solid, Parmelee hasn’t had an MLB season above replacement level by fWAR since 2011 with the Twins. He would be a warm body to hold down first, but not much more than that.

The team recently used Austin Romine at first, and Chase Headley has moved across the diamond in the past. Recalling Rob Refsnyder from Scranton to play third or even first (how hard can it be?) may be the most attractive option.

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