The news is not all discouraging in the Yankees camp, as they have now won their first series of August against the Minnesota Twins, but the celebration was contained as although they took the first two games of the series, 6-2 on Monday and 9-1 on Tuesday, they fell 4-1 on Wednesday, so the victory in the series ended with a taste of defeat.
The defeat in the third game was due, in part, to the absence of Paul Goldschmidt, who was injured in the second game and did not play in the third.
Now the Yankees will have to start planning for a possible absence of Paul Goldschmidt for the next few games just when his bat was needed more than ever.
What happened to Paul Goldschmidt?
The player was injured after playing a ball near the dugout, sliding and hitting his knee as he fell, although he managed to stay on and complete Tuesday’s game. Despite the pain, he remained on the field and even hit a double in the seventh inning.
After the game, the organization reported that Goldschmidt suffered a low-grade right knee sprain with inflammation.
According to Aaron Boone, he will be evaluated during the team’s day off and a decision will be made before the weekend whether he should be placed on the injured list
How does Goldschmidt’s absence affect the Yankees?
Goldschmidt had become a key player for the Bronx Bombers, with a .276 average, 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 112 games this season, becoming one of the team’s most reliable hitters, so his absence would limit his role as a pinch hitter, which is particularly vital against left-handed pitchers and would force Ben Rice to take on a greater offensive load, altering the lineup and defensive strategy.
How are the Yankees doing?
The Yankees are currently in third place with 64 wins, a couple of games behind the Red Sox, but still far behind the leaders, the Blue Jays, who despite their loss to the Cubs, remain well ahead with 70 wins.
In addition, with the loss to the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees are just one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the race for the third and final American League wild card berth
The Yankees squandered a golden opportunity to strengthen their position in an increasingly tight stretch run, and with six weeks remaining, any slip-up, especially one related to injuries to key players such as Goldschmidt, could end up leaving them out of the playoffs.
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