Yankees wave goodbye to director of strength and conditioning Matt Krause

Following 30 different players being sent to the injured list in 2019, the Yankees needed a fresh take when it came to their strength and conditioning staff. First up, was firing director, Matt Krause.

The coaching carousel for the New York Yankees continues as we head into the new year. Following a record 30 players going on injured reserve in 39 separate stints, change needed to come to the organization’s conditioning staff. For reference, in 2018, 20 Yankees were placed on the IL in 23 stints.

And so, after six seasons with the Yanks — 11 before that with the Reds, Matt Krause was relieved of his duties as director of strength and condition.

Krause had two years remaining on his contract — and follows pitching coach Larry Rothschild and bench coach Josh Bard out the door this offseason.

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While you certainly can’t blame Krause for Miguel Andujar’s partially torn labrum or C.C. Sabathia’s degenerative knee, it’s hard to ignore the sheer amount and severity of ailments that struck all but Gleyber Torres and Brett Gardner. Both played in more than 140 games.

It’s incredible to consider last season’s Yankees won 103 games and advanced to Game 6 of the ALCS when instrumental players missed so much time.

• Luis Severino started only five games, including two in the postseason due to an inflamed right rotator cuff and lat strain
• Dellin Betances pitched 0.2 innings because of a right shoulder impingement, lat strain, and eventual torn Achilles
• Giancarlo Stanton played in a total of 23 games due to a strained left biceps and a sprained right knee
• Aaron Judge missed 54 games from April 21 to June 20 after suffering a severely strained left oblique
• Aaron Hicks took the field 64 times because of a lower back issue and a flexor tendon injury in his right elbow that forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery after the ALCS — and will likely keep him out until August 2020
• Gary Sanchez played in 115 games, taking two trips to IL due to lower-body ailments
• Luke Voit suited up 118 times but was never the same after suffering a sports hernia injury which kept the Yankees from placing him on the postseason roster

According to Sportrac, the combined days that Yankee players spent on the IL in 2019 was an absurd 2,776 — at an estimated amount of $88.2 million in payroll. The next closest club, the Padres, clocked in at 642 games less for a mere $15.3M.

No one but those within the organization knows for sure whether any of the injuries sustained were due to a lack of condition or perhaps over-strength training (Luke Voit?). However, there’s no way the Yankees could go into 2020 without a change of personnel and perhaps, more importantly, philosophy.