TAMPA, Fla. — Brian Cashman made it about five steps out of the players’ lounge in the clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field before a group of reporters stopped him. It was Friday afternoon, and they had all but abandoned their wait to speak with center fielder Harrison Bader, the latest Yankees player to suffer an injury that was going to sideline him through the start of the regular season. Holding a blueberry Chobani yogurt in one hand and a plastic spoon in the other, Cashman explained that he wouldn’t know for sure how much time Bader would miss until he heard back from the team’s doctor.
It felt like a repeat of the scene from the day before when Cashman gathered reporters in the dugout to reveal that his $167 million offseason investment, pitcher Carlos Rodón, was hurt and wouldn’t start the season on time, while also announcing updates on two other injured players.
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“It happens, unfortunately,” Cashman said.
And it’s happened way more than the Yankees would have preferred, leaving them with several holes to fill on their Opening Day roster. Here are the leading candidates to fill them:
Center field
Who’s hurt? Bader, oblique strain
Leading candidate: Aaron Judge
Last season was the first time Judge played more games in center field (78) than he did in right field (73). He’s more than capable of handling the position. But Cashman said that it would be “better to have him in right (field) and somebody else who’s capable playing center” to save wear and tear on Judge’s 6-foot-7 frame just months after he agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract. Judge in center field would open more time for Giancarlo Stanton in right field, and the Yankees want to get Stanton more involved defensively than in years past. Stanton has said he feels better at the plate when he isn’t the designated hitter.
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The others: Rafael Ortega, Estevan Florial, Aaron Hicks
Cashman brought up Ortega and Florial as options. Oswaldo Cabrera has appeared at the position this spring but the Yankees see him as more of a corner outfielder and utility infielder. Florial would provide excellent defense, but the Yankees haven’t shown enough confidence in his bat to give him extended playing time in the majors. Ortega would provide lefty balance to the Yankees’ righty-dominant lineup. He hit well in 2021 with the Cubs (.823 OPS) but tanked in 2022 (.688 OPS). A career center fielder, Hicks moved to left field last season, and it seems like the Yankees would rather keep him there.
Bullpen
Who’s hurt? Tommy Kahnle, biceps tendonitis; Lou Trivino, elbow ligament sprain
Leading candidates: Matt Krook, Albert Abreu
Krook, a high-strikeout lefty, slides into the spot of Kahnle, who handles left-handed hitters well. He’s yet to pitch in the majors. Abreu, a righty, has such an electric fastball and slider combination that the Yankees have given him multiple shots throughout the years to stick with the big-league club despite his often poor control. Abreu is out of minor-league options.
The others: Jimmy Cordero, Greg Weissert, Ian Hamilton
Cordero has had a strong camp and features one of the better sinkers in Tampa when he’s on. Multiple Yankees, including Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge, have raved about Weissert’s stuff this spring, but he can be wild. Hamilton is a non-roster invitee who gets strikeouts and ground balls — two traits the Yankees love in relievers — and he throws a funky, low-spin slider that Boone has called “a problem. It’s a weird, good pitch.”
Starting rotation
Who’s hurt? Carlos Rodón, forearm strain; Frankie Montas, shoulder surgery
Leading candidates: Clarke Schmidt, Domingo Germán
Schmidt and Germán, both right-handers, are virtual locks for the jobs. The pair had been in competition for Montas’ fifth-starter spot at the start of spring training. Germán has the experience (70 career starts) and Schmidt’s newfound cut fastball has wowed the Yankees this spring.
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The others: Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito
Vasquez and Brito are well-regarded right-handed Yankees pitching prospects. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranks Vasquez, whose fastball averages between 92-95 mph with good command, as the team’s No. 12 overall prospect and projects him to be a back-end starting pitcher. Brito, meanwhile, touches 98 mph and has one of the best changeups in the organization.
(Photo of Aaron Judge during spring training practice: Dave Nelson / USA Today)
