Inside The Pinstripes

Luke Voit Could Return From Injured List This Month

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit could return from the injured list in June, per manager Aaron Boone. Voit is on the IL with a right oblique strain

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — Less than a week after Luke Voit landed on the injured list for the second time this season, the Yankees have a better idea of when the first baseman could return to the team.

Voit was placed on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain on May 26, just 12 games after he made his 2021 debut following left knee surgery this spring.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday afternoon that Voit rejoining the club later this month—before the calendar flips to July—is "very much in play."

"He's doing really well," Boone said. "Told me he actually feels great today. So we're probably looking at a few weeks left, hopefully."

Oblique injuries can sometimes turn often into extended stints on the sidelines. For instance, in 2019, Aaron Judge missed 54 games with a left oblique strain. Last season, catcher Kyle Higashioka was out for 23 games with a strain in his right oblique. 

With New York's offense reeling, struggling each night to score runs, a healthy Voit would be a huge addition for this club. After all, the slugger led Major League Baseball with 22 home runs during the pandemic-shortened campaign a year ago. 

In his dozen games before getting hurt again, Voit wasn't able to find his rhythm at the plate. The first baseman was hitting .182 (8-for-44), stroking one home run while striking out 15 times. 

Boone was upbeat about the slugger's progress since the injury, though. It sounds like Voit could return sooner than the team anticipated.

"I think he's a little surprised how good he feels today," Boone explained. "He'll obviously ramp up a lot of stuff."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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