The New York Yankees were eliminated from the postseason after they were gunned down by their hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox. You would think that things couldn’t possibly get worse for Yankees fans after losing to the Red Sox, right? Think again. Shortstop Didi Gregorius will undergo Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm. The procedure will cost him a chunk of the 2019 season.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post was the first to report the news:
Didi Gregorius is going for Tommy John surgery #Yankees
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 12, 2018
Yikes. This news only adds insult to injury. Losing two home playoff games to the Red Sox was ugly enough. Losing Gregorius stings. Especially when you consider that the Yankees lineup is very right-handed. Manager Aaron Boone claims that Didi injured his throwing arm at some point during the ALDS. The only bright spot here is that the team expects Gregorius to return sometime during the summer of 2019.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he is “optimistic he’ll be back at some point during the season … a realistic chance he plays bulk of season.”
The ripple effect of this injury starts to become very interesting. As of now, Gleyber Torres would likely start the year as the opening day shortstop in 2019. Interestingly enough, Torres also had Tommy John surgery last year. Gregorius also hits free agency in 2020. Do the Yankees now hold off on possible extension talks? Does the injury open the door for a Manny Machado type of splash? What will the Yankees do this offseason!
Gregorius expects to earn $12.4 million during his final trip through the arbitration process. Didi has come a long way since his days as a Diamondback. Didi posted a 4.8 WAR in 2018 to go with a .268 average, 27 home runs, 86 RBI’s, and 10 stolen bases.
