Yankees' Harrison Bader, Oswald Peraza hurt against Guardians
Even on a night when the Yankees won, they might have lost — two players, that is.
The Yankees escaped Wednesday with a 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Guardians, but they finished the game without both their starting center fielder and a rising prospect after Harrison Bader and Oswald Peraza were injured in the ninth inning.
Harrison Bader appeared to take a cleat to the face from Isaiah Kiner-Falefa. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Harrison Bader exited the Yankees’ game against the Guardians on May 3 in the ninth inning with an injury. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Harrison Bader lies on the ground in pain before exiting the game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Harrison Bader exits the game with trainers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Bader, who was playing in his second game of the season after missing the first month with a hamstring strain, was pulled in the top of the ninth after he collided with Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a ball hit into short left-center, “the Bermuda Triangle,” as manager Aaron Boone put it.
With the scored tied 2-2 and Myles Straw on second base, Oscar Gonzalez blooped a ball into shallow left-center. Kiner-Falefa, playing left field for the first time as a pro, and Bader sprinted toward the ball.
Neither relented and they both dove, their arms a few inches too short as the ball fell for an RBI single, and Bader’s head crashed into Kiner-Falefa’s side.
Boone said he believed Bader will be “fine” though he was not sure if the injury was to his head or neck.
“I was just with him, he was in really good spirits,” Boone said of Bader, who was undergoing testing after the game. “But obviously not something we want to mess with, make sure he’s OK.”
Kiner-Falefa, who said he was OK, moved to center field and Oswaldo Cabrera came off the bench to play left.
The Yankees tied the score in the bottom of the ninth in part because Peraza, too, refused to yield. The infielder pinch-ran for Anthony Rizzo, who had led off with a single, and quickly took off for second.
Peraza rolled his ankle on the way, but did not stop his momentum, limping his way toward the base.
He could not slide, but tried to sharply stop at second and was safe when the ball escaped the glove of second baseman Andres Gimenez.
Oswald Peraza appeared to be hurt as he stumbled into second. YES
Aaron Hicks replaced Peraza, who was getting X-rays after the game.
Boone did not have a feel for the severity of the injury, but a stint on the injured list would not be a surprise — particularly the way things are going for the Yankees.
The Yankees entered Wednesday with 12 players on the IL, an improvement from a day earlier, after Bader was activated.
A team already missing Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas must be hoping the IL does not continue expanding.
Source: New York Post
