Yankees Injury Update: Ian Hamilton, Jon Berti, Cody Poteet, Lou Trivino

Reeling from Tuesday night's despicable loss to the Texas Rangers, the New York Yankees are looking for a semblance of hope — something they haven't received since this 31-38 slide began about three months ago.

We will say, they caught a massive break on Gerrit Cole earlier in the year, in addition to Jazz Chisholm in August. Also, Clarke Schmidt is returning this weekend. All great. But it's all been a downhill plunge since the team's 49-21 start.

Brian Cashman, for the seventh year in a row, did not do enough at the trade deadline to supplement this roster and create an ironclad case for Juan Soto to stay beyond 2024. Chisholm has been great and absolutely essential, but the team was short two more pitching additions. Enyel De Los Santos is no longer here and Mark Leiter Jr. is a bullpen throwaway.

This team needs help, and maybe Cashman's dream will come true and it'll all come in the form of players returning from injury.

Yankees Injury Update: Ian Hamilton, Jon Berti, Cody Poteet, Lou Trivino

Ian Hamilton's rehab has slipped under the radar for some reason. He's been out since June 16 and has appeared in only 27 games this year. Fans were hoping for a faster return, but the Yankees are treating lat injuries like they're torn UCLs, apparently.

Plus, Hamilton was scratched from his rehab outing on Saturday with back spasms. Awesome. He's set to take the mound again on Wednesday, and hopefully we'll have more clarity. As of this evening, he's been transferred to Triple-A Scranton, so that's at least a positive development.

Perhaps the next most important player in this update, Jon Berti, who's been out since May 25, was also just transferred to Triple-A for his rehab assignment. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters this week that Berti will remain on that assignment through the weekend and then will "probably be in play about any time," whatever that means.

Once Berti returns, that should mark the end of DJ LeMahieu contributing anything at the big-league level. He might get phantom IL'ed and then left off the postseason roster. It can't continue.

Back to that forthcoming pitching help! Cody Poteet, who has been out since June 12 after making four starts, also had an injury timeline the Yankees lied about. Shocker. They never do that! He was supposed to be shut down for 1-2 weeks after suffering a triceps strain, but it ended up being closer to a month. He resumed his throwing program on July 6, per Boone, and here we are, two months later, sitting here like a bunch of morons.

Poteet is currently on a rehab assignment and could be back any day now. The Yankees need him badly, as the pitching staff continues to collapse multiple times per week.

Does he really need that much more time to rehab? Seems like we're good here. Not sure why he's still at Double-A, either. Let's get him making some spot starts or contributing in long relief with the Yankees. Thanks.

And finally, Lou Trivino, who has been out after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last season (he was also sidelined dating back to that spring training with elbow issues), is also rehabbing at Triple-A. On July 9, Boone said the right-hander's rehab has been a "little bit slow," but he now seems to be out of the woods after his early-season setbacks.

Trivino's two-seamer and slider is badly needed in the bullpen. He's appeared in five games with Double-A Somerset and two with Triple-A Scranton. He could use a bit more work after surrendering three earned runs across 1 2/3 innings in two games with the RailRiders, but again, the Yankees need the help as soon as possible.

The clock is ticking on Trivino, who seems to be the worst off of this group. Let's hope for a 75% success rate so the Yankees can stand a chance down the stretch in 2024.