The American League East has dominated the head-to-head record against other divisions this season. A look at the division standings shows the majesty of the ‘East’. First-place Tampa Bay (36-15) is the best team in the American League, but fourth-place Boston (26-24) and fifth-place Toronto (26-24) have a winning percentage of over 5 percent.
Boston and Toronto have the same record as American League Central Division leader Minnesota. That’s how tight the race is. The New York Yankees (30-21), the most prestigious club in baseball, are also out for blood. They’re three games behind second-place Baltimore and 3.5 games behind Boston and Toronto.
If they were at full strength, they’d be in position to make a run, but they’re not. They’ve lost key, highly paid players to injury. They’ve been doing a good job of moving players up from the minor leagues, but they’ve been plagued by frequent injuries to players they need in the 162-game race.스포츠토토
One player who has been the subject of some frustration from Yankees fans is left-hander Carlos Rodon, 31, a big-money free agent acquisition ahead of the season. The hard-throwing left-handed fireballer signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Yankees prior to this season. Considering the state of the starting pitching market, it was a bargain.
Rodon is a Class A lefty who has started 55 games over the past two years, going 27-13 with a 2.67 ERA. When healthy, he was expected to be the team’s lefty ace, but health is an issue. An injury-prone pitcher throughout his career, Rodon has yet to make his debut in a Yankees uniform this season due to a back injury. Rodon’s salary this year is around $27.83 million. Nearly half of that will be wasted.
Rodon has been undergoing injections that have alleviated much of the pain in his back. However, he hasn’t even thrown a full rehab game yet. “My back doesn’t hurt anymore,” Rodon told local media. “I just want to get back as soon as I can, and I want to help the team as soon as I can,” he said, but he didn’t give a specific timetable for his return. Not surprisingly, he wasn’t able to pitch out of the bullpen.
If he pitches out of the bullpen and is healthy, he’ll make a minor league rehab assignment and then come up to the majors. Given the time to build up his pitch count, it could be another month or so. In that case, the first half of the season is effectively wasted. The Yankees’ plan for a potent one-two punch with Gerrit Cole is off to a rocky start.
It’s not just Rodon. Giancarlo Stanton, 34, one of the league’s leading home run hitters, is also struggling with the stigma of being a glass house. Stanton hit four home runs in his first 13 games of the season, but was sidelined with a left hamstring injury. He was placed on the disabled list on 17 April and hasn’t played in over a month. Again, Stanton hasn’t played a rehab game, and even if he does make it to the majors right away, it’s going to be a while. Stanton is due $32 million this year.
Former MVP third baseman Josh Donaldson, 38, is also on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring after playing just five games this season. His performance has been on the decline, and he hasn’t been able to help the team with his physical condition. He recently joined a minor league team for a rehabilitation game, but it will take some time for him to regain his form.
Donaldson, who is in the final year of his contract, is also making $21.75 million this year. The three players’ combined salary for the year is $81.58 million, and they’ve only played in a combined 18 games with the two beasts. The Yankees’ sighs are deepening.