Oswald Peraza's shoulder injury just got worse, sends Yankees bench into flux

If the New York Yankees tell you an injury is nagging, minor, or nothing to worry about, do not believe them.

After returning for two games and testing the tight pinching in his throwing shoulder, shortstop/second baseman Oswald Peraza has finally been sent for tests to determine the severity of the issue. Say what you will about the chronically injured Yankees, but they almost never send for tests until the exact moment it's already too late/an injury has been played on for two games. Gotta commend them on that. They continue to misunderstand what a test is for.

Peraza has struggled this spring at the plate, going hitless in a tiny seven at-bat sample size in an attempt to stake claim to a bench spot with the Yankees. Now, his Opening Day roster spot -- already doubted, given the gap between his performance in Scranton and the bigs -- is likely to be given to someone else.

Who (probably) replaces Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza on Opening Day roster?

Luckily, The Athletic was way ahead of the curve on this one. If the Yankees were willing to pay Kiké Hernández $4 million before Peraza's injury, they have to be willing to pay Donovan Solano a similar amount after the youngster was sent for imaging.

Neglecting the bench and using it as a haven for struggling prospects/total flyers like they did in 2023 would be a miscalculation by the Yankees. Trent Grisham is a start. An experienced and versatile backup like Solano would be a great next step, especially with Peraza both compromised and scuffling.

Whether Peraza is Gleyber Torres' heir apparent or simply another Yankees prospect who should probably have been included in a Marlins trade is a discussion for another day. Severity aside, the fact that the Yankees sat through another injury, then rushed a player back too soon rather than diagnose his inner workings, has cost them roster clarity.