John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER-USA TODAY Sports
The 2013 season has been a rough one for the New York Yankees and their fans.
To their credit, the Yankees have maintained a good record even while most of their regulars have ended up on the DL. So far this season, the Bronx Bombers have a 52-46 record, and are currently seven games behind in the AL East, and 3.5 behind in the Wild Card chase.
One of the few popular Yankee players who has stayed healthy throughout this season is closer Mariano Rivera. The bad news is that he has announced this season will be his last. Mariano already has 31 saves this season with a 1.78 ERA, which is remarkable considering he is 43-years-old.
But, if there is anyone who can pitch into their late 50s and still be dominant and successful, it’s him.
Another healthy Yankee who has been thriving this year is the fine second baseman Robinson Cano, who is a candidate for AL MVP and deserves to be. Robinson leads the Yankees in all of the major hitting categories. With a .306 average, 21 home runs and 69 RBIs, Cano has been the bright spot in the Yankees’ lineup and has caused many pitchers to pitch around him.
While Cano and Rivera are the main reason for the Yankees’ success despite all the injuries, it’s the re-injuries that have hurt the team.
Before the season started, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Cervelli and pitcher Michael Pineda (who has yet to play a single game for the Yankees since coming over from) were all hurt. Except for Pineda, all of these players have came back off the DL and returned to action … only to get hurt again.
The Yankees’ season could be going a lot worse, Joe Girardi has done a great job weathering the storms. If the Yankees can get Jeter and Granderson back, and hope A-Rod doesn’t get suspended, they still have a realistic shot at the playoffs. If Pineda can come back and be what he was in Seattle, that’ll be a huge help.
All of that, however, will depend on whether the thing that is killing the Yankees will keep stop: the re-injuries.
