LeMahieu joins Judge and Stanton on Yankees Injury List

Give the Yankees depth credit once again, they keep getting battered with injuries but just keep on compiling wins. 

In the last two days, the Bronx Bombers have seen its 2018 and 2019 team MVPs, Aaron Judge and D.J. LeMahieu go down with injuries, yet they keep on clicking - riding a four game winning streak into a Sunday night showdown with the Red Sox.  In fact the Bombers have scored 21 runs and bashed four homers in the last two games combined against Boston. 

Of course it helps to play arguably the worst team in the American League right now in the Boston Red Sox. 

Notwithstanding the injuries are of concern. LeMahieu suffered what is being diagnosed as a strained right thumb, an injury he incurred during an awkward swing on Saturday night. Manager Aaron Boone revealed there was no break and that LeMahieu would undergo an MRI. 

As for Judge he was placed on the IL earlier this week with a Grade 1 mild calf strain. Boone and the Yankees are hopeful that it will be a short stint for Judge on the injury list. There always seems to be reason for concern when it comes to Judge. Last year he missed 60 games with an oblique strain, and was limited in baseball activities in Spring Training back in February and March due to a punctured lung and stress fracture in his right rib. 

It goes without saying the Yankees can ill afford to be without Judge and LeMahieu for too long. LeMahieu leads all of baseball in batting average at  .411, and has a .456 on base percentage. A clutch hitter, LeMahieu is a rally starter for the Yankees and easily the best and most consistent hitter in their already potent lineup. 

Judge was making a case for AL MVP honors this year with nine homers and 20 RBI and a .290 batting average in 17 games. Not a bad way to start a short 60-game season. 

The injuries of course get magnified when Giancarlo Stanton is also out with a hamstring injury that could keep him on the self for three to four weeks. With such a short season, that could mean we may not see Stanton again until mid to late September when the Yankees are likely going for playoff seeding. 

The Yankees currently sit atop the AL East at 14-6, which just so happens to be tied with the Oakland A's for the best record in the American League. Until those guys get back the Yankees will need the likes of Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela and Clint Fraizer to continue producing in big spots -- as they have been when called upon.