Yankees: Who is the closest to returning from the injured list?

The Yankees are banged up with injuries more than any team in baseball leading the majors with 11 players currently on the injured list. Some are still a ways away from returning like Aaron Hicks, Miguel Andujar, and Didi Gregorius but a couple of guys are nearing their returns in CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances.

It’s hard to remember a team ever suffering this many injuries to so many impact players, especially this early into the season. The Yankees were hit hard with the injury bug in spring training but just seven games into the season they’ve seen three more key contributors from their starting lineup go down in Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton and Troy Tulowitzki.

The news on Andujar has to be the most concerning injury to the Yanks right now because nobody knows at this point if he’ll be able to return to the team at all this season. Even though the Yanks have D.J. Lemahieu to step in as the everyday third basemen losing a bat like Miggy’s is going to hurt. He has a small labrum tear in his right shoulder and the team is somewhat optimistic he can rehab his way back but there’s also a good chance he’ll need season-ending surgery.

Stanton, on the other hand, we can assume is going to return at some point and he could be back by the end of the month. His return would obviously provide a huge boost to the offense and the starting outfield which was already without Aaron Hicks. Stanton suffered a biceps strain on Sunday that will shut him down for 10 days but once he’s cleared to resume baseball activities it shouldn’t be long before we see him back in the heart of the order.

After Tulowitzki’s recent calf strain he suffered on Wednesday there’s no telling when he might be back given his injury history. Calf strains usually keep guys sidelined anywhere from 2-4 weeks and since Tulo entered this season coming off double heel surgery you know the Yankees are going to be extra careful with him and not rush him back until he’s 100%.

Now to some good news. The Yankees are hopeful that CC Sabathia will return to the starting rotation within another week or two after he gets set to make what could be his final rehab start of the spring. After emergency offseason heart surgery in December CC needed more time to get set for his final big league season. He was also suspended for the first five games of the year.

Jonathan Loaisiga filled in nicely for CC on Wednesday in his season debut but it looks like the future Hall of Famer is the closest of any Yankee to returning according to Aaron Boone. Here’s what Boone said to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News on Tuesday:

"“CC threw yesterday. Four innings, 49 pitches. He’s close,” the Yankee manager said. “Probably one more start and then he’d likely join us, so hopefully middle of the month or just before.”"

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The Yankees pitching has been the least of their concerns to start the season, but it can’t hurt to get a veteran presence like CC back in the fold. He’s been incredibly consistent over the past couple of years since he really reinvented himself and his leadership in the clubhouse is invaluable.

After CC returns the next reinforcement for the Yanks will probably be Dellin Betances who’s been out with shoulder inflammation. There’s a chance Stanton could be before if he’s feeling good after the 10-day layoff, but Betances has actually resumed baseball activity and his throwing program.

He was supposed to throw a bullpen on Friday and after that, he’s going to start throwing to live hitters. If all goes well we should see him back in the Bronx around late-April.

With Betances out the Yankees bullpen has still been solid because they have other elite set-up men like Zack Britton and Adam Ottavino to pitch the eighth inning. However, adding a healthy Dellin to that group will make the back end of the pen pretty much unhittable.