New York Yankees outfielder Mason Williams has been cleared for baseball activities and will begin running on Monday.
According to Lou DiPietro of the YES Network, New York Yankees outfielder Mason Williams has been cleared to resume baseball activities after sitting out the first two weeks of camp with lingering patella tendonitis in his left knee.
The injury has restricted him to minor throwing but he will now begin running on Monday.
Williams, 25, has suffered several injuries throughout his young career and even started the 2016 season late because he was still recovering from the surgery on his right shoulder from the previous summer. Hopefully, for him and the Yankees, this knee injury becomes a non-factor as this season is as vital as it gets.
Hopefully, for him and the Yankees, this knee injury becomes a non-factor as this season is as vital as it gets.
Behind Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks, the only healthy 40-man roster players — besides Mason — that saw time in the outfield in 2016 are Holliday (644 innings), Rob Refsnyder (158.2 innings) and utility infielder Ronald Torreyes (four innings).
With the questions encircling Judge (whether or not he adjusts to major league pitching) and the inevitable injuries that may occur down the stretch, Williams should be a factor in 2017.
Over 20 major league games over the last two seasons, Williams owns a .292/.320/.438 slash line with one home run and an OPS of .758. He’s a .275 hitter over 548 minor league games and hasn’t made a single error in 123 innings in the majors.