Rachel Balkovec made waves earlier in the year; being the first woman who was appointed the manager of a minor league team by the New York Yankees, she took center stage for the team. And it appears she has gotten a true taste of the occupational hazard that baseball can be. An injury to the eye kept her out of commission for a while in practice. However, the manager dealt with it easily; making light of the situation and even getting a few good laughs while posting a picture of her face onto her personal social media.
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Balkovec took over the New York Yankees’ minor league operations as the manager of the lower A Tampa Bay Tarpons as the first woman in the role with an affiliated team. Taking over in 2022, while the lockout was underway is Balkovec’s first season in charge of the team. And while the injury appears to be quite graphic, Balkovec has been advised to rest for 5-7 days and is expected to make a full recovery.
Rachel Balkovec takes to Instagram to post injury
Balkovec however seemed to be using humor to diffuse the tension with her injury. Taking to Instagram, she posted a selfie with the injury in full view and her almost posing for the picture. She captioned the post, “Well I *DID* have several modeling contracts lined up, but this put a wrench in those plans.”
Yankees minor league manager Rachel Balkovec updates everyone after being hit in the eye with a batted ball pic.twitter.com/iJMIb3AOVk
— The Short Porch (@short_porch) March 25, 2022
Balkovec thanked all those who wished her well and made a solemn promise; possibly to herself. Wrote Balkovec, “Thanks for all of the messages- Just feeling extremely lucky, and also like I’ll never throw side flips again for the rest of eternity.”
Balkovec maintained a strong and able front for her team. Reportedly, after the injury, she shared a message with her team, telling them “worthy endeavors come with risk.” She however did mention that she was fortunate to get away from the accident with minimal damage. “All things considered, I feel very fortunate,” she said.
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While expected to be back in training soon; Balkovec did express some sadness at missing out on Opening day action. As the Tarpons begin their 2022 campaign; Balkovec also added that the injury does not seem to be serious; neither is it one that augurs any long-term ramifications for her job. Said Balkovec, “As much as I already miss being around the players and staff, I do not expect this affecting my role and responsibilities for the regular season.”
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And despite not being present on Opening Day, Balkovec enters the season with great responsibility. Do you think she can deliver the seasons that the Yankees are after? Could she be on track for the top job soon?
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