DENVER — Aaron Boone didn’t sound optimistic after Josh Donaldson hobbled down the primary bottom line within the seventh inning of the Yankees’ Saturday win over the Rockies.
On Sunday morning, the group positioned Donaldson on the 10-day injured checklist with a proper calf pressure. Prospect Oswald Peraza was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to exchange Donaldson.
The Yankees didn’t have Donaldson’s MRI outcomes when Boone spoke to reporters on Sunday morning, however the supervisor mentioned “I would think” the third baseman will want greater than 10 days on the IL.
“We’ll see at what level and then go from there,” Boone mentioned, “but I know it wasn’t great.”
Donaldson, who was “a little beat up” previous to the All-Star break and designated hitting for the second consecutive day on Saturday, moved slowly out of the field after hitting a weak groundball to shortstop on Saturday. As Donaldson approached first base, he started to hop on his left leg earlier than jogging gingerly to the Yankees’ dugout.
Asked Saturday if it was Donaldson’s calf that had been bothering him earlier than the break, Boone mentioned, “It’s a different spot. It’s been kind of off and on all year.”
Boone clarified Sunday that Donaldson has been coping with the problem “more over the last couple weeks.”
This marks Donaldson’s second injured checklist stint this season — he damage his hamstring in April — and it creates a chance for Peraza.
A shortstop by commerce, Peraza has additionally hung out at second and third this season within the minors and majors. He’s hit pretty nicely at Triple-A, slashing .262/.355/.497 with 12 house runs and 28 RBI. He’s additionally stolen 11 bases.
Boone mentioned that he’ll use Peraza like Donaldson and that “there should be plenty of playing time for him.” The skipper famous that the prospect may also transfer across the infield and spell a few of the Yankees’ starters.
“He hasn’t played a ton of third base,” Boone mentioned. “But I’ve been happy with it. He’s fairly gifted within the infield.
“I don’t really have many concerns about it.”
With Peraza producing for the RailRiders, a lot of Yankees followers have been already clamoring for him to take enjoying time from Donaldson, who’s hitting .142 with a .659 OPS after going 0-for-4 on Saturday. Donaldson, 37, does have 10 house runs in 33 video games this season, however he’s solely totaled 15 hits and simply as many RBI.
Peraza competed for the Yankees’ beginning shortstop job within the spring however misplaced it to Anthony Volpe after having fun with a cup of espresso within the majors final season. Boone has repeatedly talked about how the 23-year-old responded positively to that call, and did so once more on Sunday.
“I can relate to kind of getting to the big leagues and having a little bit of success and then having to go back,” Boone mentioned. “Like it’s not an easy thing. The biggest thing I’ve been pleased with Oswald is how he’s dealt with, obviously, us going with Anthony to start the season. It hasn’t changed anything about how he’s gone about his work and his focus and his preparation. He’s gone down there and performed, and that’s a lot easier said than done, and I’ve been there. So excited to get him up here. We know he’s a really good player and he’s done a good job of continuing to work on getting better and better.”
ALTITUDE ALTERATIONS
Clarke Schmidt, the Yankees’ Saturday starter, made some attention-grabbing feedback relating to the excessive altitude that pitchers need to cope with at Coors Field. He mentioned that the Yankees seen that Carlos Rodon and a few relievers’ pitch shapes didn’t look proper on Friday, so Schmidt made it some extent to check his stuff out within the bullpen on Friday and earlier than Saturday’s begin. His curve seemed so off that he initially deliberate on ditching it, however Schmidt determined to purpose for the filth throughout his begin, and that positioned the pitch within the backside half of the zone.
On Sunday, pitching coach Matt Blake, teaching in Denver for the primary time this collection, mentioned he was “generally aware” of the circumstances and that the Yankees had prepped accordingly.
“As a group, we knew that there was going to be some level of change, just because of the altitude and the way the ball works through the air here,” Blake informed the Daily News. “A lot of times the vertical ride is different or the ability to spin the ball’s a little bit different, so we just knew that the shapes were going to be a little different from where we normally are at altitude or sea level. So that was one thing we just wanted to get our bearings on as far as what the ball was going to do.”
Blake additionally mentioned that as a result of Yankees pitchers made tweaks for pitching at Coors — like Schmidt aiming his curve within the filth — they should readjust of their subsequent outings.
“That’s just one of the things that you’ve got to recalibrate in each environment you’re in,” Blake mentioned. “Obviously, this is an extreme one compared to being in New York or being in Tampa or something like that.”
In addition, Blake mentioned there was a conditioning aspect to pitching at Coors, and that the Yankees had oxygen obtainable within the dugout. He mentioned pitchers haven’t had to make use of the oxygen, however catchers have “a little bit.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com