Yes, this is real. No, I am not kidding. And man we predicted this...unfortunately. The Yankees starting first baseman, Luke Voit will undergo surgery for a partial meniscus tear in his right knee, skipper Aaron Boone shared with reporters on Saturday afternoon. It should come as no real surprise as Voit had been vocal about the soreness he had been experiencing in his right knee since the start of spring training. Friday, following his MRI, Voit learned the full extent of his knee injury. Voit will start the 2021 season on the Injured List and likely will not return to full time play until June.
"The Yankees will turn to Jay Bruce -- the non-roster invite who made the Opening Day roster -- to serve as the team's starting first baseman in Voit's absence, Boone confirmed Saturday. Bruce exercised his opt-out on Thursday, but the Yankees had 48 hours to make a final decision regarding a roster spot for him," reported CBS Sports.
This news keeps Mike Tauchman and Tyler Wade on the roster for the Yankees on Opening Day. Both could find some time platooning at first base. However, the Yankees will miss more than Voit's big bat in the lineup, coming from a guy who has had spent his fair share on the IL.
“It’s gonna be tough,’’ Aaron Judge said of losing Voit. “Luke’s a big part of this team, a big part of this offense who hits in the middle of the lineup. He’s a real vocal guy in the clubhouse who gets us motivated and we’re gonna miss that the next month. I know Jay Bruce is gonna do some special things for us,” reported the New York Post.
Voit is coming off a stellar 2020 season, albeit a short one. He batted .277/.338/.610 with a league-leading 22 home runs and 52 RBI in 56 games. Bruce is a 33-year-old left-handed hitter, who has turned some heads this spring proving he can hit for power. His overall production, and on base percentage is certainly not in line with Voit's and Bruce has only had 50 starts in his 13 year career at first base.
“I’m confident I can play a very adequate first base, and with more practice, I think I can be good. It sounds like I’ll have the opportunity to be there pretty extensively for the foreseeable future,” said Bruce as reported by The Post.
Sigh. Let's hope that the Yankees can overcome this set back, that Voit rehabs and can come back well before June and that the Yankees have enough depth in their clubhouse to stay focused and get a good start to the 2021 season.
--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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