Oswald Peraza’s Injury Compound Yankees’ Infield Depth Concerns Beyond Cabrera

Is a nightmare about to come to life for the Bronx Squad? Despite average Spring Training results till now, there was one thing that gave the New York Yankees some consolation – their roster’s fitness. Unlike 2023, where they had 8 players on the injury list by Opening Day, this year has been relatively good for them. Until now, as it seems. However, things are starting to turn with the latest report of their young shortstop, Oswald Peraza. 

Peraza’s played back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday. While his hitting is still a little short, the young prospect’s presence holds immense value for the Yankees. Though Anthony Volpe remains the primary shortstop, the Pinstripes don’t really have a cover for him other than Peraza. That is until Peraza reported to the skipper Aaron Boone that he wasn’t feeling well.

The 23-year-old had been out from February 25 till Tuesday due to some tightness in his shoulder. While at that point it was taken as exhaustion (it’s common for players to run out of gas at this stage of Spring Training), things may have gotten a little out of hand right now. As the New York Post reports – Oswald Peraza informed Boone that the “achy shoulder” that shut him down before was “still not right.”

Peraza has now been scheduled to undergo imaging to determine the root cause of this pain. While the skipper insists on this being only a precautionary measure, things could get bleak for the Bombers relatively quickly. Even though Peraza was expected to predominantly play in the Triple-A, the lack of depth in the Bronx Squad provided him with a chance to return to the major leagues.

However, now with the Yankees staring at Peraza potentially entering the injury list, their thin infield has once again shown its face. 

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The lack of depth and the New York Yankees’ desperate measures 

Brian Cashman is reportedly very high on Peraza. Still, the Bronx Bombers have tried to sign another infielder throughout this offseason. They first went after Enrique Hernandez, but he ended up signing with the LA Dodgers. Something similar happened with Amed Rosario, who chose the Tampa Bay Rays over the Yankees. His primary reason – better chances of getting at-bats in the Rays.

So as of now, apart from Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, the Yankees don’t have a shortstop. Oswaldo Cabrera can play there but first he’ll have to improve on the struggles he had last season. Non-roster invitee Kevin Smith is in the camp but as of now, things point more towards a desperate trade.

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However, at this stage of the offseason, it could be a costly affair for the Bombers. Perhaps that’s why Aaron Boone is insisting on the injury being non-serious. Maybe his words can manifest a scenario where this potential nightmare turns into a false alarm.