Inside The Pinstripes

Gio Urshela Needs MRI on New Injury Just Days After Returning From IL

New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela will get an MRI after hurting his hand against the Los Angeles Angels. Urshela recently missed 23 games with a hamstring injury

Max Goodman

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Less than a week after returning from the injured list, Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela could be sidelined once again with a new injury.

While Shohei Ohtani stole home on Tuesday night, part of a double steal by the Angels, Urshela landed awkwardly on his hand. The defensive wizard wasn’t in New York’s starting lineup on Wednesday as a result.

“He's pretty sore,” manager Aaron Boone said pregame on Wednesday evening. “We'll hold him out today and see what we have on the off day and hopefully be in position to be back in there Friday.”

Asked if Urshela will need any sort of additional testing or imaging due to the discomfort, Boone revealed the third baseman will likely go for an MRI on Thursday, the Yankees’ off day upon returning from their West Coast road trip.

Urshela hasn’t hit his stride yet since returning from the 10-day injured list on August 3 (retroactive to Aug. 1), missing 23 games due to a hamstring injury. Boone relied on a mix of infielders while Urshela—and starting shortstop Gleyber Torres—was sidelined, so if Urshela ends up needing to miss more time, expect a similar group to fill the void.

That includes Rougned Odor (who hadn’t played third base in his career until he began filling in for Urshela) along with DJ LeMahieu, Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez.

The Yankees have a decision to make when Torres returns from the injured list on Friday, finalizing his rehab stint after a thumb sprain derailed a promising start to the second half of the season. On Wednesday Boone assured that Velazquez—the hometown kid from the Bronx who has shined over the last several weeks—will stick around in September. It’s safe to assume Wade is going to remain on the big-league roster as well thanks to his speed and versatility, but only time will tell.

Through six games since returning from the hamstring injury, Urshela is hitting .095 (2-for-21) with six strikeouts. That's taken his batting average on the season down to .263—across a total of 90 games—with 11 home runs and 41 RBI.

With just about one month to go until the postseason begins, and a division title still in reach, a healthy Urshela will be a key component to this club’s success. 

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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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