Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle is in the midst of a 10-day shutdown after battling some biceps tendinitis. It doesn’t seem the club is overly concerned, with manager Aaron Boone saying yesterday he anticipated the right-hander would have sufficient time to prepare for Opening Day.
Kahnle chatted with reporters this evening, likening it to a similar issue he experienced back in 2018 (relayed by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). He estimated it’d take roughly a month to completely dissipate. That doesn’t inherently mean he’ll start the year on the injured list, though with Opening Day three and a half weeks out, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he wound up requiring a brief IL stint. Signed to a two-year, $11.5MM free agent deal, Kahnle will be ticketed for high-leverage work in the Bronx once he’s healthy.
Even more integral to the club’s success is southpaw Nestor Cortes. An All-Star in 2022 during a season in which he worked to an excellent 2.44 ERA through 158 1/3 frames, Cortes has cemented himself as a key starter. On talent, he’s arguably the #3 option behind Gerrit Cole and big-ticket free agent signee Carlos Rodón. Yet the 28-year-old has been slowed a bit in recent weeks after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in February.
That injury forced Cortes out of the World Baseball Classic but the Yankees have maintained optimism it wouldn’t affect his availability for the start of the season. That remains more or less the case. Boone told the media yesterday the Yankees were planing to move Cortes towards the back of the rotation to give him a few extra days to ramp up (via Erik Boland of Newsday). That might get Luis Severino and either of Clarke Schmidt or Domingo Germán — who appear to be the top competitors for the vacant final rotation spot — on the mound a day or two earlier than anticipated but suggests New York still believes Cortes will avoid a trip to the injured list.
The competition between Germán and Schmidt for the last starting spot, necessitated by the Frankie Montas injury, is one of a handful of position battles for the Yankees to sort through over the coming weeks. On the position player side, the club’s biggest decisions revolve around shortstop and left field. There could be some unexpected overlap between those calls, as Boone told reporters the club could consider getting Isiah Kiner-Falefa some outfield work (link via Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty of the Athletic).
Kiner-Falefa has never played the outfield at the major league level. He started only seven games on the grass while coming up through the minor leagues. After beginning his career as a middle infielder, Kiner-Falefa started to see some action behind the plate during his time in the Rangers’ system. He caught at the big league level from 2018-19 but eventually transitioned back to the infield — first as a high-end defensive third baseman and eventually as a primary shortstop.
While Defensive Runs Saved has loved Kiner-Falefa’s shortstop work, Statcast’s Outs Above Average has rated him much less favorably than when he was at the hot corner. While there might be some debate about his defense, Kiner-Falefa’s bat has been more consistent. He’s a high-contact hitter who doesn’t walk a whole lot or hit for much power. Last year’s .261/.314/.327 performance was right in line with his career track record.
The Yankees broke in top prospect Oswald Peraza late last year and could turn shortstop over to him on an everyday basis headed into 2023. The 22-year-old acquitted himself well over an 18-game MLB cameo on the heels of a .259/.329/.448 line in 99 Triple-A games. With another top prospect, Anthony Volpe, on the horizon, it doesn’t seem Kiner-Falefa will hold the shortstop job for long even if he secures the Opening Day nod.
Branching out into the outfield makes for a reasonable experiment to expand his flexibility for a possible bench role. While Harrison Bader and Aaron Judge have two spots secured, left field mostly seems set to come down to Aaron Hicks or Oswaldo Cabrera. While Kiner-Falefa isn’t the caliber of hitter a team would be anxious to pencil into the corner outfield regularly, it wouldn’t be surprising if he proves himself capable from a defensive perspective. He’s a good runner and has already shown the willingness and ability to adapt to a number of infield responsibilities. Branching out into the outfield could position him to take on a super-utility role if he’s squeezed out of the regular middle infield by some combination of Peraza, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu and eventually Volpe.
I thought IKF was going to be your Backup Catcher? Gave up on that already?
I don’t think anyone thought that.
Clipper posted it as a joke so I shot it back to him. LOL
Still crazy that the Yankees took on Donaldsons contract all because they NEEDED IKF ♂️
Now they seem to not be able to give either one away as they don’t need them anymore
Need to move on from IKF. Hicks as well as he’s not playing everyday.
First play of the game Hicks drops a lazy pop fly that hit the heel of his glove – embarrassing.
Hicks finally hit a HR in his last game – the problem is Hicks can *only* hit that HR with a low & inside pitch, similar to Gallo, probably because he golfs so often it falls within his wheelhouse. He’s sloppy, he’s not a good baseball fielder, and his baseball IQ is one of the lowest on the team. Otherwise, it’s predominantly a huge pull swing with a rollover finish – garbage.
He should’ve been gone already, but he needs to go. I can deal with IKF at 3B or UTL guy. Donaldson needs to go as well.
And, is it me or do the baseballs look like they’re jumping off bats? I have a feeling the baseballs are not the dead balls…..again.
Your frank assessment cracks me up Clipper, not because I wish ill on the Yankees, but just the sheer face-plant of Hicks still being rostered and Boone coming up with yet another work-around to get IKF in the lineup via LF is just baffling for the fandom of this venerable & esteemed pillar of baseball… fans hair must be coming out in clumps. (Although I do rather like the idea of IKF behind the plate instead of replacement level Higashioga.) Sending good vibes to Yankee Land. It will all work out in the end.
just the sheer face-plant of Hicks still being rostered and Boone coming up with yet another work-around
===========================
IMVHO, it is an issue of expectations. Hicks should make a decent #4 OF. Performance-wise, he is probably pretty similar to Refsnyder on the RS. Just $9-10M more expensive.
Hey Clip we seemed to have lost another Yankee fan …Fink Ployed has been missing in action and I miss his astute commentary and smart analysis. Dang bro, people either drop like flies , burn out, or lose their credentials and log-in under a new screen name and lay-low I suppose. Bummer but I guess that’s life.
No such luck, Iggy. I’m still here.
After Roger Waters’ last pro-Russia, anti-America rant, I didn’t want to be associated with his muddled thinking even with something as remote as a band pun screen name.
I was a Floyd fan as a young man, but Waters has gone around the bend, as they say in England. Now he’s going to remake “Dark Side of the Moon” without the other band members in what seems particularly aimed at erasing David Gilmour’s essential contributions to that album. He ought to call his new version “Dark Side of a Loon.”
On the baseball side of things, I have to disagree with your description of Higashioka as replacement level. He can’t hit, but his work behind the dish is elite.
Fink! I didn’t realize this was you, although I should have. I was just thinking the same thing the other night, “Man, where did Fink go?” I was getting worried this was some weird movie-to-real life version of Final Destination, where all the Yankees fans can’t escape their destiny.
Man, I’m glad you’re here though. Now if I could track down Ducky and non-Yankee Trumbo Jumbo…..
Thanks for the kind words, Clipper. Been a while since I’ve seen either of those two hereabouts. Maybe they found better ways to spend their time — I know, crazy, right? : )
I donno who’s making the spreadsheets Boone keeps reading that say put IKF in every game but they need to be taken away.
I would actually have IKF on the roster/in the lineup over Hicks & Donaldson though. IKF at third where he won a GG with Texas and Cabrera in LF until a trade can be materialized or they decide to go with a 2-man outfield and just have the SS play deep. (Okay that was even worse idea than something Boone could think up )
Ray: Amen, bro. Going to a couple Yankees games in the beginning of the year and currently weighing the risks v benefits of jumping the barrier into the dugout to steal Boone’s lineup cards with getting arrested. I’m thinking it’s worth it…
ISOB: Thanks man, lol. I totally agree with you, at least IKF is a serviceable player. Hicks and Donaldson are just yucky.
Yankees are deep deep deep. Losing Kahnle for a month or so is NBD. Their rotation combined with that lineup is fearsome. What they do with IKF is dependent largely on how Volpe/Peraza/Cabrera perform this month. Depth allows you to sustain injuries and move on. Yankees are…bad.
Bite the bullet and play the kids
Hicks is total trash. I can’t stand his stupid face, with that dumb expression all of the time. Isn’t it time for a season ending injury followed by a long rehab assignment ,then release. See Ellsbury for reference.
It seems inevitable at this point. At least with Ellsbury he had a long track record before the Yankees signed him. Hicks had one or two above average offensive seasons and he got way too many years.
Dude he might be an okay guy to have a beer with, who knows. He’s only human, he’s gotta have some positive qualities, at least one or two. Hopefully he’s nice to his Mom and pets a cat when he walks by,??
IKF and Donaldson should be playing dominoes on the bench
Congratulations, Yankees, on yet another albatross contract. 9 years for the 31 year old Aaron Judge. No World Series for 13 years and counting.
Tell us which team you root for wiseguy, so we can say something appallingly dumb and meaningless about it but meant as a burn.
Right… “appallingly” dumb to point out the Yankees’ failure to win a championship in nearly a decade and a half despite staggering payrolls year after year after year. “Appallingly” dumb to point out the stupidity in giving a 9 year mega contract to a 31 year old who might be the biggest person in baseball and who already has a very well established record in terms of fragility. He will average less than 100 games and less than 3 WAR over the next 9 years. Terrible contract after terrible contract after terrible contract. Cashman just throws $ at the wall and hopes something sticks- there’s nothing special whatsoever about Cashman and there’s no real plan. Yankees should have moved on from Cashman after last season.
More like it’s a stale and refried talking point that doesn’t actually elicit any sort of positive back and forth , because it’s a trolling remark that is only meant to provoke a reaction (which it worked buddy!) so congrats to you and your incisive bit of commentary there. We will be waiting with bated breath for your next one, I’m sure. (Just keep your screen name so we can keep track.)
They gave a 4 year extension to Cashman, despite his failure to put together a championship team for the past 13 years- even though he has enormous resources at his disposal (top 3 payroll every single years, frequently the highest payroll). Their decision to stick with him proves that the Yankees’ ‘championship culture’ is a farce- he would have been fired at least 3 years ago if that were really true. And they won’t win 1 again until he is gone.
Thank you for expanding on your initial post. I’m a primary Mariners fan, with Yankees at #2 and I agree that extending Cashman was more of a “kick the can down the road” sort of avoiding the issues staring them in the face, while at the same time rewarding him for at least consistently fielding a team that wins 90+ and thus playoff bound perennially, more or less. What seems to be the hangup, in my mind, is Hal Steinbrenner’s over-reliance and co-dependence on Brian Cashman to be his personal baseball guru/whisperer and in turn Cashman’s codependence on Boonie to be the bro in the clubhouse with the ‘feels’ and the sacrificial lamb in the spotlight every night fielding media inquiries. Those 3 are fused at the hip , so nothing will change until all 3 move on or Hal realizes there are other voices in the wilderness (and can trust them.)
Pleased as punch to know you are still with us Fink, uh I mean aka Poster, on this harrowing & unpredictable magic mystery tour which will be MLB season, version 2023. I am optimistic to say the least; M’s & Yanks should be in the running after Game 162 and then we shall see!!! Yeah Pink Floyd too …big fan here, I discovered them later but I’m GenX so The Wall came out when I was 5. The Wall didn’t start clicking for me until probably freshman in college and then it was like “Right On Dude! I get it now!” Became big Roger Waters fan & thought Gilmour was too laid back, hippy dippy & hated post-Waters Floyd. Just started dipping back again into the Syd Barrett era and pre-Dark Side stuff with the long psychedelic freakouts like Live at Pompeii & helped me to appreciate Gilmour and Wrights contributions. Yup Floyd is very likely in my Top 10 to 15 faves of all time (just nothing past Final Cut lol.) And Roger has lost me & lost the plot on the politics angle for sure; too much hanging out with Jeremy Corbyn and the anti-semitic/pro Russia tankies. He is smart enough to know better, that’s for sure…peace bro; see ya on the boards!
Thanks for the kind words, Iggy. However . . .
I spent far too much time yesterday sending multiple queries to this website’s proprietors, having been blocked from commenting with no explanation for the block. Having received no replies nor having regained access to the posting function, I then contacted the company that apparently collects user data for this site. I explained my problem to them and asked that they contact this site’s proprietors, who hadn’t replied to my queries, to advise them that I wanted to delete my account and have all my personally identifying information deleted from their servers. Neither company ever extended the courtesy of a reply, but — voila! — today my ability to comment has been restored as mysteriously as it was denied.
The disappearance of other posters like Ducky and TrumboTrumbo has been occasionally discussed here. Based on my experience, I wouldn’t assume that their absence is voluntary. That said, my own absence will be voluntary. I usually enjoy discussing baseball, at least when the convos are reasonably cordial, but, sadly, customer relations and common courtesy appear to be endangered species. I’ve had enough for now. For me, the game isn’t worth the candle anymore. Best wishes to you, Clipper and our other pals hereabouts. It’s been real . . . sort of. ; )
I have dealt with some glitches as well but just let it ride and today everything seems to be back to normal. I think the guys don’t have the manpower to answer every individual case; but when I saw a problem with what looked to be racist discourse, they responded to my inquiry quickly and resolved the matter which I appreciate. From everything else I have observed; the team here appear to be straight shooters and I wouldn’t worry about anything intentionally nefarious…but I know each individual has their own parameters for how to judge that. I hope you reconsider and join us again some day; will be here under same moniker. Be well Ployed and best of luck to your team.