Yankees Report Card: Player Grades for March and April

Aaron Judge

Out of all the 13 Yankee players currently on the injured list, you could make a strong argument that Judge is the most irreplaceable. Judge is not only the best player on the roster and the true face of the franchise but also one of the top leaders in the clubhouse. Losing him to a significant oblique strain last Saturday was a huge blow in every way because he’s likely going to miss at least a month of action.

Prior to his injury Judge had yet to really get going from a power standpoint but he did hit .288 with 5 HR, 11 RBI and had an OPS of .929. He struck out 26 times in just 73 at-bats which is too much but he did lead the team in OBP at .404. Judge is certainly capable of putting up bigger numbers and by the time he returns he and this Yankee team should really take off.

Grade: B

Giancarlo Stanton, Troy Tulowitzki and Miguel Andujar

Stanton has been out of action since April 1st after suffering a bicep strain so it’s unfair to give him a grade when he’s only played in three games. The same goes for Andujar who landed on the IL on the same day as Stanton with a small labrum tear. His bicep is reportedly all healed up but Aaron Boone dropped a bombshell earlier in the week when he announced Stanton suffered a setback in his shoulder and needed a cortisone shot. He’s still weeks away from a return.

Miggy, on the other hand, was in danger of needing season-ending surgery but he played five innings during an extended spring training game on Friday and went 2 for 3 and on Saturday he was the DH and went 3 for 5. Finally, the Yankees got some good news on the injury front with him after Boone announced he could be major league ready by next weekend.

As for Tulo, he only played in five games before suffering a left calf strain on April 3rd. The Yankees have taken their time with him because there’s no need to rush him back given his recent injury history and the play of guys like Gio Urshela and D.J. LeMahieu. However, he is making progress and could play in a rehab game on Sunday or Monday according to Randy Miller of NJ.com. He could also be back within the next two weeks.

Grades for all three: Incomplete

Greg Bird

Bird is injured once again and is out indefinitely with a left plantar fascia tear. Prior to going down, he played in 10 games and really struggled, hitting .171 with 1 HR and 1 RBI. It’s a shame Bird has never been able to stay healthy since bursting onto the scene in 2015 and after this latest set back he may have run out of opportunities with the Yankees at the big league level.

Grade: D+

Clint Frazier

Frazier is the latest Yankee to go down after he sprained his left ankle going back to second base on a pickoff play during Monday’s win. He had hoped to play through the injury but an MRI revealed a slight tear and the expectation is he’ll be out for at least 10-14 days.

Frazier was the Yankees most productive hitter this season before the injury so losing him at a time like now stings almost as much as losing Judge.

Numbers so far: .324 BA, 22 H, 6 HR, 17 RBI, .975 OPS

Hopefully, he can return soon because he was playing like a breakout star after he was finally given the opportunity to play every day.

Grade: A