Yankees drop a ton of injury news on fans including status of Corey Kluber

New York Yankees fans have been waiting nearly 24 hours to know what’s going on with Corey Kluber, who left Tuesday night’s game with a shoulder injury. The team told fans that there would be no further information until they got the MRI results.

Well, they’re here. So are updates on Giancarlo Stanton and … Luke Voit?! One is good, one is pretty bad.

But let’s start with Kluber, who’s been the topic of conversation. He’s played a big role in stabilizing the starting rotation and threw the first no-hitter for the Yankees in 21 years just last week.

The right-hander is going to be shut down for a full month. No action. Nothing.

Guys … it could be worse. Weren’t you bracing for a season-ending injury, especially since he missed all of 2020 with a shoulder tear?

Well, this is a sub-scapular strain (?) and manager Aaron Boone delivered the news just moments ago.

That’s the “good news.” The bad news? Kluber will be undergoing another MRI and getting a second examination. Boone mentioned that the sub-scapular strain was the diagnosis at this time, so we’ll be waiting for more information to ensure there’s nothing else going on that could change the timetable.

Yup, a bummer, but injuries happen, and there was no chance this rotation was going to be healthy from start to finish.

The Yankees lost Corey Kluber for a month, and Luke Voit for … longer?

Right up there with the Kluber news was a bombshell regarding Voit. The slugger has had a really rough 2021. He underwent knee surgery in spring training and didn’t return until May 11. And he’ll be heading right back to the injured list.

Boone announced that Voit suffered a grade 2 oblique strain just 12 games into his season debut. “Grade 2” indicates that this strain is “moderate.”

As you probably know, obliques are tricky. And they’re usually lingering issues if not taken care of properly. Based on what we’ve seen previously, it wouldn’t be surprising if Voit missed at least a month … but expect it to be longer.

Here’s some insight per MLB.com:

“While some mild oblique strains can be resolved in just a few days, severe strains can require surgery with a recovery time of 3-4 months. In 2017, former Dodgers athletic trainer Stan Conte of Conte Injury Analytics teamed with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and Major League Baseball to further examine the impact of oblique strains on injured MLB players. Using MLB’s Health and Injury Tracking System (HITS), the study ultimately revealed that hitters typically take 27 days to recover from a Grade 1 strain, while pitchers typically take as many as 35 days.”

OK, whew, we’re gonna puke. How about some actual good news?

Stanton will NOT be heading back to the IL! Woo! Expect him back in the lineup on Friday for the series opener against the Detroit Tigers. The Bombers will host the Blue Jays for a doubleheader on Thursday after Wednesday night’s game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Fans were getting frustrated with the updates surrounding Stanton’s quad issue. First, he was day-to-day. Then, it was believed he could return for the Rangers series. Then he hit the IL. Then the team targeted him to return on May 25. So it’s not surprising everyone was expecting him to miss another 10 days.

Instead, though, he’ll miss an extra three days. Not the worst thing in the world. But the Yankees will now have to figure out how to address their starting rotation and infield with the colossal losses of Kluber and Voit.

Yankees: There’s a lot to digest regarding Corey Kluber’s shoulder issue

New York Yankees starting pitcher Corey Kluber left Tuesday night's game early with shoulder tightness. What can we make of it at this point?