Baseball fans accused the New York Yankees of placing starting pitcher Marcus Stroman on the “Phantom Injured List” on Saturday, a day after the two-time All-Star reported a knee injury.
Stroman allowed five runs and failed to get out of the first inning in Friday’s 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Most teams use the phantom injured list
For those who don’t know, the phantom injured list refers to teams placing a player on the injured list with a vague injury, such as a hamstring or shoulder problem, to free up a roster spot without going through the waiver list.
Being placed on the phantom injured list also allows players to get a mental or physical break in the midst of a prolonged slump or, in extreme cases, to walk away from the team altogether.
But there’s a problem: while most teams use the phantom IL, this practice also violates MLB policies.
Major League Baseball (MLB) suspended former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler in February 2024 for “deliberately fabricating injuries” during the previous two seasons
According to CBS Sports, the Mets used the injured list 28 times in 2022 (10th most in baseball) and 25 times in 2023 (11th most in baseball).
Eppler resigned in October 2023 and is currently a special advisor to the Milwaukee Brewers.
There have been no credible reports that the league will investigate the Yankees for manipulating the injured list. As we said, Stroman reported a left knee injury and went on the injured list after testing
Fans think differently
However, Yankees fans don’t believe Stroman is actually injured.
“Is this a phantom IL stint or is he actually hurt?” One X (formerly Twitter) user asked the Yankees’ official account.
Another added: “A little ‘phantom IL’ for the Yankees. Reasonable.”
Some speculated that the Yankees placed Stroman, who was struggling, on the injured list for financial reasons. Stroman’s $18 million player option for 2026 kicks in if he pitches 140 innings.
If Yankees fans are so skeptical, could Major League Baseball step in?
Stroman did not speak to the media after Friday’s loss or at any time on Saturday. However, San Francisco Giants pitcher Ross Stripling openly acknowledged that he was on the “phantom injured list” late in the 2023 season. Stripling later apologized for the term, and the Giants traded him to the Athletics in February 2024.
We’ll see if the outspoken Stroman finally takes a similar approach. If so, the Yankees could be in serious trouble.
Athlon Sports Information
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