91 Players and Beyond $82 Million: A Troubling Trend Making the Yankees MLB’s Most Injured Team?

New York Yankees fans, do you know the sinking feeling you get when the news of another injury hits? Take a look at their injury history; it looks like the Bronx Bombers haven’t just been bitten by the injury bug, they’ve been swarmed. If that sent shockwaves through, listen to this. 91 players landed on the Injured List since 2021, the most in Major League Baseball. What is ailing the Pinstripes? 

Well, it’s not for lack of spending, that’s for sure. In 2023, the Yankees funneled a massive sum of $82 million into the IL – a bottomless pit. This sum is so high that it’s enough to fund the entire payrolls of numerous small-market teams. The frustration is palpable, not only for fans but also players. Even the stoic Gerrit Cole expressed, “We get injured too much as a group. We need to improve.“

What Lies Behind This Plague of Pulled Hamstrings and Strained Elbows?

Faster, stronger, but injured more often? Remember the lumbering giants of baseball’s yesteryears? Gone are those days. Today’s game is all about athletes pushing their bodies to the limit. Aaron Boone himself acknowledges the shift, “Everyone is elite. It’s a much faster and more dynamic sport today.” This increased intensity is like rowing against the stream too long, too hard. With that comes the physical stress which potentially fuels the injury plague. If we look deeper, it turns out, exertion is not the only reason.  

The pitch clock sure has quickened baseball’s pace, but what does it do to the pitchers? It sure comes with a price to pay, especially for flamethrowers. The reduced rest between pitches is a key ingredient in this disaster. Doc Gooden too worries about the clock’s “corrosive effect on radar gun readings,” which inevitably will lead to arm trouble. Knowing that MLB plans to tighten the leash further in 2024, the concern mounts.

Okay, agreed that the 162-game grind is brutal, but the worse is yet to come. Extended off-seasons are castles in the air; players are back in the gym by November, with a short holiday break followed by a January training ramp-up. So, by the All-Star break, some Yankees might have been playing for a grueling six months straight. “Tell me that’s not a problem,” questions a concerned insider. Not to mention the Yankees’ ambitious pre-season trip to Mexico City. Solution?

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Is There A Solution to the Yankees’ Problems? 

Shortening the season is like a pipe dream, and the union is bent on salary cuts. Could throttling back on spring training’s intensity do any good? Or perhaps reconsidering international ventures? Whatever the leadership does, it is clear that players need some sort of relief. 

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One thing stands out – the injury woes of the Bronx Bombers are a cause for concern; not only for the franchise, but also for the fans. As Gerrit Cole aptly put it, “The demand for performance is happening sooner than ever.” Is it time to prioritize player health over spectacle, even if it means sacrificing some grandeur? One can only pray not to hear whispers of “Here we go again.“