Yankees' Harrison Bader: Doing better than anticipated
Rotowire
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday that Bader (oblique) is doing "better than we anticipated," Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Bader was diagnosed with an oblique strain last week, and the expectation was that the outfielder would miss approximately six weeks. Based on Boone's comments, it's possible that timeline could be shortened, but it still seems likely Bader will open the year on the injured list. Assuming he continues to recover quickly, it could be a much shorter stay on the IL for the presumed starter in center for the Yankees.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Six-week absence expected
Rotowire
Bader's oblique strain is expected to keep him out for approximately six weeks, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Bader was sent for tests Thursday after feeling tightness in his left oblique. The given timeline means Bader is all but a lock to begin the year on the injured list and likely won't make his season debut until late April at the earliest. Aaron Judge or Aaron Hicks could slide to center in his absence.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Diagnosed with oblique strain
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Bader has been diagnosed with a left oblique strain, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
It's not clear at this point what the severity of the strain is, but it's a safe assumption that Bader will begin the season on the injured list and could potential miss multiple weeks. Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks are candidates to slide over to center field while Bader is out, and an out-of-options Estevan Florial could also see playing time there. Additionally, Oswaldo Cabrera has been giving center field a try this spring.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Sent for tests on left oblique
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Bader was sent for tests Thursday after experiencing discomfort in his left oblique, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Bader felt something in that area Wednesday, presumably while going 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the Yankees' Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. It's still relatively early into spring camp, and New York has already had some absolutely terrible injury luck. More should be known Friday about the severity of Bader's oblique issue.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Another homer in loss
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Bader went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored during Sunday's 6-5 loss in Game 4 of the ALCS.
Bader finished his outstanding 2022 postseason with his fifth homer, a blast off Hector Neris that put the Yankees up 5-4 at the time. The 28-year-old was one of the few bright spots for the Yankees in the postseason, hitting 10-for-30 with eight runs scored and six RBI. Prior to 2022, Bader had been 3-for-22 with zero extra-base hits across three playoff campaigns, so his effort this postseason is a step forward for the New York native.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Batting leadoff in Game 2
Rotowire
Bader is starting in center field and hitting leadoff in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Astros on Thursday.
The 28-year-old is 5-for-19 with four home runs and two walks through six games in the playoffs, and he'll hit atop the order after New York mustered only five hits and two runs during Wednesday's series-opening loss. Bader should benefit from the move and now has some protection with AL MVP-favorite Aaron Judge hitting behind him.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Slams solo shot in Game 1
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Bader went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Game 1 of the ALCS in the 4-2 loss to the Astros on Wednesday night.
Bader scored the game's first run with a 411-foot shot to left field off Justin Verlander. The native New Yorker is in the midst of a massive power surge during the 2022 postseason. After hitting just five home runs in 292 at bats during the regular season, he already has four home runs in 19 at bats during the postseason. Shockingly, Bader has as many homers in the postseason as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton combined, and he is proving to be a crucial acquisition from the Cardinals at the trade deadline.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Sits in regular-season finale
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Bader is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Bader will get a breather for the regular-season finale after he went 1-for-8 with an RBI and a stolen base while starting in both ends of Tuesday's doubleheader. Aaron Hicks will get a turn in center field Wednesday, but Bader should operate as the primary option at the position when the Yankees open postseason play Oct. 11.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Swipes 17th bag
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Bader went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rangers.
The center fielder pilfered his 17th bag of the season, and his second in 14 games as a Yankee, before going 0-for-4 in the nightcap. Bader hasn't done much with his bat for New York since coming off the injured list, slashing .217/.245/.283 through 49 plate appearances, but his defense should keep him in the starting lineup when the team begins its playoff run.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Resting Monday
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Bader isn't starting Monday against the Rangers.
Bader started the last four games and went 4-for-16 with two doubles, two RBI and three strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Aaron Hicks starts in center field and bats sixth.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Out of Tuesday's lineup
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Bader is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Blue Jays.
The defensive specialist is hitting .238 with a double, three runs, six RBI, nine strikeouts and two walks in seven games with the Yankees. Aaron Hicks will enter the lineup in left field with Aaron Judge getting the nod in center field.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Sitting Friday
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Bader isn't starting Friday against Boston.
Bader will get a day off after going 4-for-11 with six RBI since making his Yankees debut. Aaron Judge will take over in center field, moving Oswaldo Cabrera to right field and giving Aaron Hicks a start in left, batting ninth.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Plates three runs in NY debut
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Bader went 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI in Tuesday's 9-8 win against Pittsburgh.
Aaron Judge was understandably in the spotlight with his 60th homer of the season, but Bader made a splash as well in his first game as a Yankee. He was activated from the 60-day IL earlier in the day and struck out in his first at-bat but followed with an RBI single in the fifth inning. Bader came through again in the sixth, notching a two-run single to pull the Yankees within a run. He figures to take over as New York's primary center fielder moving forward.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Hitting seventh in team debut
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Bader (foot) was activated from the 60-day injured list and is starting in center field while hitting seventh Tuesday against the Pirates, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
The defensive stalwart will make his long-awaited debut for the Yankees after getting dealt from St. Louis for Jordan Montgomery at the trade deadline. Bader should get plenty of work down the stretch to get acclimated in time for the playoffs, but he may get strategic days off in an effort to keep him healthy. He hit .256/.303/.370 with five home runs and 15 steals in 72 games with the Cardinals.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Likely returning Tuesday
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Bader (foot) is tracking toward returning from the 60-day injured list and playing in Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
The Yankees will have a couple weeks to get their recently acquired outfielder acclimated before the postseason. Bader is hitting .375 with one home run, one steal, three strikeouts and two walks in five rehab games. He should play pretty regularly over the likes of Miguel Andujar and Aaron Hicks.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Kicks off rehab assignment
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Bader (foot) went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in a rehab game with Double-A Somerset on Sunday.
Bader saw his first game action since joining the Yankees at the beginning of August. The outfielder has had a lengthy recovery from plantar fasciitis in his right foot, so it's a good sign that he was able to swipe a bag in his first rehab appearance. Bader is expected to ramp back up for about a week before potentially joining the big club.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Rehab assignment on tap
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Manager Aaron Boone said Bader (foot) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment as early as Sunday, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.
Bader resumed taking part in baseball activities in late August and is now poised to begin the final stage of his rehab program. The 28-year-old is expected to require about a week's worth of games in the minors before being cleared for big-league action, so he shouldn't be expected to make his debut for the Yankees until at least Sept. 20 versus the Pirates.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Closing in on rehab assignment
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Bader (foot) is on track to begin a rehab assignment no later than Sept. 13, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
While Sept. 13 is the tentatively target date for Bader to see his first game action since July 22, Boone acknowledged that it's possible the outfielder is cleared to report to an affiliate as soon as this weekend if he responds well to his workouts over the next few days. According to SportsNet New York, Bader will do a "full ramp-up" workout Monday, which presumably involves both baserunning and fielding drills. Even though Bader hadn't appeared in a game for the Cardinals since June 26 while recovering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot before suffering a setback a month later during his rehab assignment, the Yankees were still motivated to acquire him ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline. Whenever he's ready to make his Yankees debut, Bader will likely be penciled in as the team's everyday center fielder, which will allow Aaron Judge to return to his more natural position in right field.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Building toward rehab stint
Rotowire
Manager Aaron Boone said Bader (foot) began hitting off a tee Tuesday and is in a "10-day ramp up" to start a rehab assignment, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
The 28-year-old recently resumed baseball activities and is now ramping up his rehab work in preparation for seeing game action. If the 10-day timeline holds, Bader should be playing in minor-league game by the second week of September and could make his Yankees debut in the middle of the month.
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Yankees' Harrison Bader: Progressing toward return
Rotowire
Bader (foot) has resumed baseball activities and will begin a running program Saturday, per MLB.com.
Bader has been playing long toss and, according to the Associated Press, has begun swinging a bat. He was recently transferred to the 60-day IL, but that doesn't impact his return timeline since he's nearly eligible to be activated. Bader will likely need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before making his Yankees debut, but he's expected to be ready to play in early-to-mid-September.
