This has been a brutal week for the Yankees in the injury department. Yesterday morning, Giancarlo Stanton went on the IL with a biceps injury. Aaron Hicks reportedly has yet to resume baseball activities. Most disconcertingly, Miguel Andujar injured his shoulder diving into third base on Sunday evening. The team hoped the injury would prove to be minor, but reports indicate Andujar suffered a torn labrum and could require surgery. Bryan Hoch reports via Twitter that the Yankees will proceed cautiously for the next two weeks before making a decision, but a season-ending trip to the operating table is clearly within the realm of possibility now. After a spring of frustrating, but small, injuries, this profiles as the first major blow to the Yankees, one that could shape the season in a more profound way. The team did lose Luis Severino in spring training with a worrying shoulder injury, but they remain hopeful his absence will be minimal. CC Sabathia continues to recover from multiple offseason surgeries, but he was always expected to miss time to begin the year. Hicks and Stanton, if all goes according to plan, should return in a few weeks. Andujar is the first domino that could fall for the entire season. The Yankees clearly had high hopes for the 24-year-old third baseman, notably showing little interest in superstar infielder Manny Machado this winter. They put their faith in Andujar after a strong rookie campaign in which he hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs. This ailment threatens to rob Andujar of a crucial season of development, when he could be refining his discipline at the plate and improving his defense at the hot corner. It also robs the Yankees of a promising young bat, likely pushes DJ LeMahieu into the starting lineup, and strains their depth even more. Without Andujar, it will be harder to let LeMahieu play a utility role, possibly adding pressure to Troy Tulowitzki’s workload. In order to give Tulowitkzi a breather, the Yankees may have to plug Tyler Wade into the lineup after Wade was recalled from Triple-A in the wake of Andujar’s injury. Wade impressed in spring training, but has a woeful 25 OPS+ in 124 big-league at-bats, and has yet to prove ready for a major role. Andujar’s injury far from dooms the Yankees. However unlikely, it’s possible he won’t require surgery, and if he does, the team does have ample depth on hand. Yet that depth was already under duress to begin with, and a season-long absence from Andujar would continue to erode the team’s margin for error. The Yankees will still expect to win the AL East, and they absolutely have the talent to do so. They’ll just have to do it without the third baseman they expected so much out of in 2019.<doc-sep>The Yankees' injury riddled start to the season continues as they will be without Miguel Andújar for the time being. The team announced Monday the infielder is being placed on the 10-day injured list as he nurses a right shoulder strain. Tests are pending for the third-year player. But in the meantime, New York called up Tyler Wade to help fill its roster. Prior to tonight’s game, the @Yankees placed INF Miguel Andújar on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. Tests are pending. The Yankees also recalled INF/OF Tyler Wade (#14) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. — Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) April 1, 2019 SIGN UP for a FREE 30-day trial of DAZN and watch LIVE baseball games and programming on MLB Network Andújar had 13 at bats through three games before suffering the injury. He recorded three hits and an RBI in those plate appearances. Andújar spent two of those games at third base and one as a designated hitter.​ The news comes just hours after the Yankees announced Giancarlo Stanton was bound for the injured list with a left bicep strain. New York is also without Luis Severino, CC Sabathia, Aaron Hicks, and Didi Gregorius, among others.​<doc-sep>Seth Wenig/Associated Press The New York Yankees may be without third baseman Miguel Andujar for the rest of the 2019 season. According to reporter Bryan Hoch, Andujar suffered a small labrum tear in his right shoulder and may need season-ending surgery. Hoch noted the 24-year-old will be "treated conservatively for two weeks" before a decision is made. This comes after the Yankees announced earlier Monday they placed him on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. The Bronx Bombers are a mere four games into the 2019 campaign but are already dealing with significant health concerns. Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports noted Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius, Jacoby Ellsbury, Aaron Hicks, Dellin Betances and Luis Severino are all on the injured list at this point. Andujar’s setback is particularly concerning after he broke onto the scene last year. He slashed .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI while helping New York set an MLB record with 267 long balls on the way to a postseason appearance. He had hits in each of his first three games this season but may have to wait until 2020 to continue establishing himself as a critical piece in the lineup. Look for New York to turn toward the combination of DJ LeMahieu and Tyler Wade at the hot corner with Andujar sidelined.<doc-sep>For more Fantasy baseball insights, and to keep up with all the latest news, roster trends, and more throughout the season, subscribe to Fantasy Baseball Today now on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. You can find us on YouTube now, with full episodes and clips available every Monday through Friday. Giancarlo Stanton went on the IL, and it wasn't even the Yankees' biggest injury news of the day. No, that honor went to Miguel Andujar, who isn't dealing with a Grade 1 strain — to his biceps or otherwise — and isn't looking at a return within the next couple weeks. In fact, he may not return at all. His injury, an MRI has confirmed, is a labral tear in his right shoulder, sustained diving back into a base Sunday. If it sounds familiar, it's because it's what happened to Jimmy Nelson two years ago. He hasn't played since. Maybe this one isn't as bad. The fact Andujar is a position player probably makes a difference, and it's worth noting he hasn't conceded to season-ending surgery yet, planning to re-evaluate in two weeks. But my expectation is it'll be like Corey Knebel's hope of avoiding Tommy John surgery: wishful thinking. That means you better start making your contingency plan. If you're lucky, you already have another competent third baseman on your roster. It was arguably the deepest position coming into the year, so in many cases, you couldn't help but double dip. But if you somehow wound up with Andujar and only Andujar, what's left isn't pretty. Not helping the situation is that we've already lost a couple high-end infielders in Scooter Gennett, who could miss half the year, and Daniel Murphy, whose timetable looks to be much shorter but nonetheless has impacted the player pool. Gennett and Murphy are both second basemen, of course, but their losses still limit the potential third base alternatives. Why, you ask? Look no further than the guy replacing Andujar in the Yankees lineup, DJ LeMahieu, who will gain third base eligibility in short order but is already eligible at second base ... and was perhaps one of the first places a Gennett or Murphy owner looked. His value is higher now that we know he'll play every day, but you can't expect him to contribute like he did in his Rockies days, not outside the BABIP wonderland of Coors Field. Truth is he's a less than ideal choice in mixed leagues given his lack of power and speed. So who would be preferable? Jeff McNeil of the Mets offers a more environment-neutral contact profile while having a slightly better hope of contributing power and/or speed. Like LeMahieu, he hasn't secured third base eligibility yet, qualifying only at second, but it's the position he's playing most often right now. But again, the Gennett or Murphy owner may have already scooped him up, especially since batting average is what all of these players do best (Andujar included). McNeil, like LeMahieu, is already owned in two-thirds of CBS Sports leagues. So who else? One player who is highly available, owned in just 18 percent of CBS Sprots leagues, and free from interference of the second-base seekers, is Yandy Diaz, who came into the season as a bit of a project for the Rays. He had only one home run to his name in parts of two seasons (299 total plate appearances) with the Indians, but his exit velocity hinted of untapped power potential. The Rays just needed him to hit the ball in the air more, and so far he has. It has led to his second career home run and two doubles, and despite a crowded infield picture, he has started all five of the Rays' games. Most interestingly, he has struck out only once. If the fly-ball rate holds, it's a profile much like Andujar's, except with the potential for a higher on-base percentage. Among the widely available options, Diaz is a must right now for Andujar owners. He ranks behind McNeil in the overall pecking order, but not by much. Here are some other potential third base replacements, complete with pros and cons: It's worth pointing out there are also some interesting second base pickups if you have a dual-eligible player you want to slide over to third or if you happen to be looking for a Murphy or Gennett replacement: Brandon Lowe of the Rays has a good power profile along with on-base skills and is set for everyday duties with Joey Wendle sidelined by a strained hamstring. He's only 34 percent owned. Adam Frazier looks like the everyday leadoff man for the Pirates and isn't completely punchless at the plate. You could do worse than a player with 15-homer, 90-run upside, especially since he's just 27 percent owned. Ian Kinsler is the leadoff hitter for what looks like a dynamic Padres lineup. He puts the bat on the ball and still offers modest power and speed. The whole could be greater than the sum of the parts, particularly in a points league. He's only 26 percent owned. And of course, there's always the option of making a trade, but this early in the season, it's not so clear what your excesses are. You'd hate to saddle yourself with another weakness looking to correct this one. You're probably better off trying to strike it rich off the waiver wire, at least until we get final confirmation on Andujar.<doc-sep>
The New York Yankees got off to an underwhelming start to the 2019 season, losing two of three games to the lowly Baltimore Orioles in their opening series. The team’s outlook didn’t improve much Monday, when both Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar were placed on the injured list with different ailments. [It’s still not too late to join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league] The 29-year-old Stanton will miss at least 10 days due to a biceps injury. Andujar could miss a lot more than 10 days. The 24-year-old Andujar is dealing with a tear in his labrum. The team will treat him conservatively for two weeks but season-ending surgery could be on the table. Miguel Andujar has a small labrum tear in his right shoulder. He will be treated conservatively for two weeks, but season-ending surgery is on the table. — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) April 2, 2019 Big things were expected of Andujar heading into his sophomore season. As a rookie, he hit .297/.328/.527, with 27 home runs, over 606 plate appearances. That performance was good enough to net Andujar a second place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. With the injuries, the Yankees now have a fair amount of talent — and money — currently on the IL. Yankees have $85 million in payroll on Injured List (or suspended in Sabathia's case). That's higher than four teams total payroll. @Yankees — Richard Justice (@richardjustice) April 1, 2019 Stanton and Andujar joined Didi Gregorius, Jacoby Ellsbury, Aaron Hicks, Dellin Betances and Luis Severino, among others, on the IL. Stanton is making $26 million in 2019. Ellsbury is making $21 million. They account for more than half of the $85 million the Yankees currently have on the injured list. Story continues Even with those players sidelined, the Yankees can still put together a fairly imposing lineup. The team will rely on Aaron Judge, Luke Voit, Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez to provide pop. After that, they still have D.J. LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres and Troy Tulowitzki at the bottom of the lineup. The Yankees lost both Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar on Monday. (AP) While the team has to compete in a tough American League East, it helps that most of the American League is rebuilding. The Yankees can easily get through a short stretch without those players. The first series might have been rough, but the Yankees are too talented — even with these injuries — to struggle for long. ——— Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik More from Yahoo Sports: