Yankees make flurry of injury moves ahead of Opening Day

The New York Yankees are gearing up to face off against the Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon, but they will be without several key players due to injury. The team announced a number of moves prior to the game. Notably, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, Tommy Kahnle, and Gerrit Cole will all be headed to the injured list.

Yankees Make Several Moves Ahead of Opening Day

• Placed INF DJ LeMahieu on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 3/25) with a right foot contusion.

• Placed INF Oswald Peraza on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 3/25) with a right shoulder strain.

• Placed RHP Tommy Kahnle on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/25) with right shoulder inflammation.

• Placed RHP McKinley Moore on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 3/25) with right knee bursitis.

• Placed RHP Gerrit Cole on the 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

• Recalled RHP Luis Gil (#81) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

• Signed RHP Nick Burdi (#57) to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster.

• Added INF Jon Berti (#19) to the active roster.

Interestingly, Cole will spend the next 60 days on the injured list as he rehabilitates from nerve inflammation in his throwing elbow. Cole only made one spring training appearance before being shut down and undergoing a number of tests to determine the severity of his injury.

Fortunately, it seems as though he will return at some point during the 2024 season, most likely in early June. The Yankees were afraid he might miss the entire campaign, but the team will get their ace back closer to midway through the season, and that will be a major reinforcement.

In addition, the Yankees acquired Jon Berti from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday to help supplement the loss of DJ LeMahieu. DJ is dealing with a contusion on his right foot and will likely miss the next few weeks, but Berti is a good player who should help smooth over the hot corner for the time being.

Peraza is dealing with a shoulder injury that derailed his spring training. After being considered the primary utility man, the Yankees are likely headed in a different direction, with Berti potentially becoming the main utility option. Peraza will likely miss the next five weeks or so recovering from his shoulder injury, so don’t expect to see him anytime soon.

The Yankees are also working Tommy Kahnle back from shoulder inflammation to his throwing arm. The 34-year-old didn’t make an appearance but pitched 40.2 innings for the Yankees last year, hosting a 2.66 ERA. He should be a solid piece in the bullpen once he’s able to make a return.