MAY 31: Ackley will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his shoulder, tweets Feinsand.
MAY 30: Yankees utilityman Dustin Ackley has been diagnosed with a torn right shoulder labrum, manager Joe Girardi said today, as Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports on Twitter. A surgical option is on the table, per the report.
Ackley, 28, had struggled to a .148/.243/.148 batting line over 70 plate appearances. He had shown promise in a brief run with New York late last year after being acquired from the Mariners, but the former top prospect was limited by a back issue.
Originally a second baseman, Ackley has increasingly seen time in the outfield over recent years. For New York, he played mostly in right and at first base, as he’s filled in the gaps that have arisen due to other injuries. A left-handed hitter, Ackley has mostly been utilized against righties; unsurprisingly, he’s been better when hitting with the platoon advantage over his career.
The loss of Ackley for what seems to be a lengthy stretch will obviously force a roster realignment. Rob Refsnyder could function in a generally similar role, though he has limited outfield experience, has never played first as a professional, and hits from the right side. Fortunately for New York, the club has plenty of left-handed-hitting options in the outfield. And for now at least, first baseman Mark Teixeira is battling through his own injury difficulties and poor start to the year. Losing Ackley removes a fill-in option there, though it seems that the club feels reasonably comfortable utilizing reserve catcher Austin Romine and third baseman Chase Headley at first to spell Teixeira.
Ackley’s injury certainly raises questions about his future with the Yankees. He’s earning $3.2MM this year in his second-to-last run through the arbitration process, and could figure as a non-tender candidate if he can’t return to health and turn around his work at the plate later this season.
ackley was such a great amateur player. wish he coulda got it figured out
Me too. I was happy NYY traded for him..,
They should rename this site mlbDLrumors
Boras ought to be jumping for joy. He will now get to take one of his clients to FA a year early after NY releases him right after the season instead of paying someone 3m.. maybe a tad more who has no chance of being of any use at least the 1st half the walk year.
Go get ’em Scott.. Ur dream scenario..
Shame about Ackley, always thought he’d amount to something in Seattle and non Boras client might be able to get a cpl years for cheap with the injury.. Just no way here.
Kelly Johnson is available
Bird had a torn labrum and he’s out for the year.
This guy is terrible. The empty spot on the bench might put up a better WAR.
Nope. Hicks has a -0.3 fWAR.
If Refsnyder doesn’t play much outfield, has never played first, and bats from the other side of the plate, how exactly is he generally similar to Ackley? Other than both can put baseball player on their resume of course,
Refsnyder is a natural OF
Why do thev Yankee’s keep hitting players we trade to them? You tore up Pineda’s arm now you hurt the soon to be AS Ackley. If you can’t play nicer with the stuff we give you maybe we won’t give you anymore good stuff. If you play nice you can have Adam Lind and we can send Chris Taylor your way too maybe Seth Smith. I would ask if you had a young Of’er and 1st bm we could get back on return but you really don’t have a lot in the minors, and we don’t want any of the geriatric players with huge contracts. Do you have a supplemental pick on the draft we would take that. (I think that is the one you can trade now).
“we don’t want any of the geriatric players with huge contracts”
…because we already have Robby Cano and he will definitely hurt in a few years. Sorry had to finish your sentence for ya there.
Cano has been, basically, the most durable player in baseball for the past ten seasons. Has averaged 160 games played every year since 2007, with his low coming at 156. He’s on an easy HOF track and the durability is a huge factor. He’s basically Cal Ripken Jr. at second base.
I don’t know, we don’t want another Montero
The signs are there for the Yankees–not your year, You can’t hit, your starters aren’t doing the job, you can’t keep people on the field, be a strategic seller–and a buyer, since you have the bucks–get younger and more athletic. Fans will cope–watching a boring, old team is worse than a team making a serious effort to rebuild
Honestly… The injuries for Ackley are bad luck, the lack of confidence and good approach at the plate down to coaching. His too soon rise to the bigs are on Zduriencik. Over his time with the Mariner organization I saw too many players go halfway developed only to start strong and flop because of his inability to run an organization. Would have loved to see what Edgar could have done with him. Still a gifted player, but unfortunately will now be a margin sitter and another sad Jack Z tale.
One less guy to bat 100 for Yanks. What are we going to do now without Ackley?