Yankees: Who needs to step up with Miguel Andujar and Giancarlo Stanton out?

The Yankees have played four games and the injuries are already piling on. Both Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar were placed on the Injured List on Monday, leaving two giant holes in the Bombers Lineup.

The 2019 season is underway and the New York Yankees are in a weird place at the moment. At 2-2, they have already hit a bit of a snag with injuries.

Both Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar have been placed on the 10-day Injured List. Stanton was shut down for 10 days with a strain in his left bicep. Andujar is a much different story. He was originally placed on the IL for a right shoulder injury, but the news has taken a turn for the worst. Andujar has now been diagnosed with a small labrum tear in his right shoulder, which requires close monitoring and the very real possibility of being shut down for the rest of the season for due to surgery.

There is certainly enough depth players to fill in for both Stanton and Andujar, like the two players that were called up. Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade were called up at the time the injuries were announced and will most likely play at some point in this Detroit series. Still, those two are not going to amount to the impact that both Stanton and Andujar have. So it will take the other everyday players to pick up the pieces and fill in the holes.

The Yankees have been adequate from the plate, but not to the standard set forth last season. After improving the offense, you would think that the production from this team would be atop of Major League Baseball. Instead, they are sitting at the league average in hits and home runs at 28 and four, respectively.

These everyday players have been OK thus far, but there are now two gigantic shoes to fill. Ok is not going to cut it. They have to pick up the slack and really enhance their game until the injured return.

Gary Sanchez

Gary Sanchez is the most crucial member of the Yankees offense aside from Stanton and Aaron Judge. His power and ability to hit to all gaps makes him one of the deadliest members of the “Bronx Bombers”.

At the plate, there have been glimpses of how great of a player he is and glimpses of where he can improve. Currently batting .250 on the early season, he has shown elite power. He leads the Yankees with two home runs this season. With Stanton and Andujar on the bench, his contribution of power is one of the most important things the Yankees need right now.

Behind the plate is a completely different story. Sanchez leads the Yankees in errors with three in just four games this season. He has been known through his career for having a bulk of his failures from not being able to catch and block the ball, but things have changed.

His arm is one of the best in baseball, and he’s always thrown with accuracy. This season, it has been shaky which could create a problem. If other teams can see that his accuracy can’t match the speed of his arm, they will send runners more and test him.

Luke Voit

Luke Voit is another everyday player that needs to step up with the absence of Stanton and Andujar. Despite getting off to a fantastic 2019 thus far, this success needs to continue.

The first base job has been in the spotlight since the end of last season and was amplified in Spring Training. Greg Bird and Voit have been head-to-head for weeks for the starting job and the competition is helping the Yankees. As it stands with injuries, both Voit and Bird can co-exist in the lineup. But, once the lineup shapes up to be healthy one of the two might have to spend time in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Voit is currently batting .231 from the plate. He leads the Yankees with five runs batted in, including the three-run shot he hit to get 2019 started. The Yankees are going to need Voit to continue the early success through this bumpy time.

Quickly, Voit is becoming one of the Yankees fans favorites. What better way to win the hearts of fans then stepping up when the team is arguably at their lowest point. Without two all-star caliber players, in Stanton and Andujar, eyes can shift right to #45.

Brett Gardner

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In the first three-game series of the season, Gardner was .077 from the plate. Much like the rest of the Yankees, he struggled in key situations. With runners in scoring position, he was 0-4 from the plate. Going forward, every opportunity to drive in runs, especially from the leadoff spot will be critical.

Gardner had a terrific Spring Training, as well as many other Yankees. But since the season began, Gardy and the rest of the Yanks have seemed to miss the memo that this is when it actually counts. With both Stanton and Andujar missing time, and with Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius also still on the IL, Gardner is going to play an important role moving forward.

In game number four of the season, Garnder finally showed up to play. With two hits, including a booming home run to right center field, he had his best game of the season. This could be the spark needed to turn around his dreadful start of the season.

The Yankees are in a vulnerable position right now. Leadership is going to be important, and the oldest and wisest of this roster is Gardner. The outfield is young with the possibility of Frazier joining Judge, so his veteran status is key.