Dustin Ackley Out for the Season Following Shoulder Surgery

The Yankees continue to be plagued by injuries in 2016. The latest blow is the announcement that utilityman Dustin Ackley will miss the remainder of the season following shoulder surgery.

He sustained the injury Sunday against the Rays diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt. An MRI Monday revealed a labrum tear, and manager Joe Girardi told reporters Tuesday that the required surgery will end Ackley’s 2016 campaign.

Ackley was the Yankees sole acquisition at the 2015 trade deadline, coming over from Seattle for Ramon Flores and Jose Ramirez. He raked for the Bombers down the stretch, hitting .288/.333/.654 in 57 PAs. The former first round pick has struggled at the plate in limited time this year, but his defensive flexibility has been valuable for a team filled with injury-prone veterans.

Related Story: Dustin Ackley Injures Shoulder, DL Looks Likely

Up to this point, Ackley has served as Mark Teixeira’s primary backup at first. With Tex looking like a shell of himself and battling neck spasms over the first two months, the team will have to look elsewhere for first base help. The injury may even spell the end of Ackley’s tenure in New York. He is under team control for one more year in 2017, but with so much talent in the upper minors, they may not want to pay a rehabbing Ackley $3-plus million for next season.