Saturday was the Yankees first official summer season workout, a regular bit of preparation to start their coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. Instead of a regular practice at Yankee Stadium, the group witnessed a frightening event in which a crucial pitcher was struck on the head with a line drive. Masahiro Tanaka, a two-time All-Star, lay stationary on the ground after being struck with a ball off the bat of his teammate, the slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Tanaka ultimately sat up and strolled off the field with 2 athletic trainers by his side.
Saturday was the Yankees very first official summer exercise, a regular bit of preparation to begin their coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. Rather of a normal practice at Yankee Stadium, the group witnessed a frightening incident in which an essential pitcher was hit on the head with a line drive. And later in the day, it revealed that 2 other players were missing from practice since they had actually tested favorable for Covid-19.
Masahiro Tanaka, a two-time All-Star, lay stationary on the ground after being struck with a ball off the bat of his teammate, the slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Tanaka ultimately sat up and walked off the field with 2 athletic fitness instructors by his side. He was released from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital on Saturday night after being assessed for concussion-like symptoms.
The Yankees also revealed favorable tests for star infielder D.J. LeMahieu and pitcher Luis Cessa with their consent, as league rules avoid teams from naming gamers without permission.
LeMahieu and Cessa remain isolated at their homes and will need to test unfavorable before taking a trip to New York to join the group, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone stated. LeMahieu has actually been asymptomatic, while Cessa has shown “very mild” symptoms of the infection.
Tanaka, 31, remains in his last season of a seven-year, $155 million contract he signed with the Yankees prior to the 2014 season, in which he was picked as an All-Star. He was likewise an All-Star in 2019, a season in which he published a 4.45 earned run typical over 182 innings.
Tanaka had actually been pitching without a so-called L screen, a protective barrier typically used during practice sessions. After seeing Tanaka get injured, pitcher Jordan Montgomery said he was so shaken up that he requested one, which he had actually not originally prepared on using.
” Its dreadful,” Montgomery stated, adding later: “I hope hes okay. Im thinking and hoping for him right now.”
In 2015, the Yankees set a big league record with 30 gamers spending time on the injured list.
” Well see how that continues to unfold the next numerous days,” Boone stated.
Tanaka, who went back to his native Japan soon after the season had been suspended in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, was dealing with a set of Yankees power players, Aaron Judge and Stanton, at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon as he included front of coaches for the very first time in months.
Tanaka had little time to react when Stanton, who strikes the ball as tough as anybody in baseball, drilled a line drive toward the mound. The ball struck the right-handed Tanaka on the ideal side of the head, knocking him to the ground, where he lay for a minimum of 5 minutes while nestling his head.
” It sucks to see something like that, especially during something as simple as a sim game,” outfielder Aaron Hicks stated in a video press conference with press reporters.
After the ball struck Tanaka, Stanton instantly crouched down and put his hand on his helmet, relatively upset that he had struck hurt his teammate. With the Miami Marlins in 2014, Stanton sustained facial fractures and required numerous oral procedures when he was struck in the left cheek by a pitch from Mike Fiers, then with the Milwaukee Brewers.
” Its incredibly regrettable what happened today,” Boone stated. “In a great deal of ways, were confident we avoided something truly bad occurring.”