The New York Yankees have suffered from a myriad of injuries all season long. As a result, they have seen a record of 29 different players land on the injured list. After leaving Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, Mike Tauchman becomes the next player to join that list. On Monday, the Yankees announced that Tauchman has suffered a Grade Two calf strain.
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The recovery time for Tauchman is expected to be six weeks to two months. As a result, he is will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Tauchman’s Impact
While Mike Tauchman does not have the track record of the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino, and Dellin Betances, whom the Yankees are still waiting on the returns of, he is still a valuable asset to the team.
He is slashing .277/.361.504 on the season. In the second half, he is slashing .315/.395/.582, emerging as an under the radar star for the Yankees. He is one of many to embrace the team’s, ‘next man up’ mentality. Additionally, he is one of the few left handed bats that the team can pencil into the lineup on a daily basis.
His defense has been even stronger. In 86 games in the outfield, he has only committed one error. As a result, his defensive runs saved currently sitting at 15. Over the course of a full year, he projects to 25 desfensive runs saved. Tauchman was acquired on the last day of Spring Training, and yet he has been one of the team’s biggest contributors in the second half of the season.
Moving Forward
The Yankees still have the depth necessary to get by without Mike Tauchman, but his loss will loom large. The lineup has been well documented as right-handed heavy. The likes of Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius as well as a switch-hitting Aaron Hicks (if healthy), can all be great left handed hitters, but none have matched Tauchman’s production in 2019.
The injury could open the door for a left handed bat off the bench, such as Mike Ford, if the team feels they need more depth from that side of the plate.
His injury also shakes up the outfield mix moving forward. The team still has Aaron Judge, Gardner, Cameron Maybin, Clint Frazier, and Stanton (when healthy) to use in the outfield. With Tauchman out, the team has one less decision to make as October creeps closer.
Mike Tauchman is a big loss for the Yankees, and , despite their depth, will have an impact on the team moving forward.
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