With Opening Day less than 10 days away, the last thing the defending AL champion Yankees needed was another injury. With World Series hero Giancarlo Stanton potentially out for the season due to severe elbow pain, 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole sidelined after Tommy John surgery, and last year’s Rookie of the Year Luis Gil unable to throw due to a lat strain, the Yankees are already dealing with several key injuries. The Bronx Bombers were certainly hoping their spring training misfortune wouldn’t continue.
That’s exactly what happened to the Yankees on Monday, though fortunately, this latest injury appears to be less severe than most of the others. On the same day New York received positive news about No. 5 starter Clarke Schmidt—who reported “feeling good” after a bullpen session following a scratch due to shoulder discomfort—newly acquired first baseman Paul Goldschmidt exited a game against the Blue Jays with a sore back, according to a New York Post report.
Goldschmidt, the 2022 NL MVP and one of the Yankees’ key offseason additions on a one-year, $12.5 million deal, told reporters he had been dealing with the back issue for “four or five” days. However, he expressed no concern about his availability for Opening Day on March 27, saying the injury caused him “zero” worries.
Even at 37, Goldschmidt has been one of MLB’s most durable players, appearing in at least 150 games in 10 of the last 11 full seasons. During the shortened 2020 campaign, he played 58 of 60 games for the St. Louis Cardinals.
