The New York Yankees are finally starting to get good news on the injury front and it just got even better with Gary Sanchez.
The New York Yankees have had a tough year on the injury front but, that’s about to change as Gary Sanchez is expected to be activated from the DL on Saturday.
Gary Sanchez is expected to be activated on Saturday, Aaron Boone said. #Yankees
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) August 30, 2018
Sanchez has played in three rehab games in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. During that span, he has hit two home runs and driven in two RBI. Throughout his rehab stint, he has seen time both behind the plate and at the DH spot. All reports have been good, and Gary himself feels like he’s ready to go.
Gary Sanchez on how he feels at the plate: I’m seeing the ball well and I’m having good contact. I’m feel good. I’m ready to go. #Yankees
— DJ Eberle (@ByDJEberle) August 30, 2018
The Yankees will welcome Sanchez back with open arms considering how their offense has struggled of late. He is just six home runs short of reaching the 20 home run mark and would be the seventh Yankee to reach that number this season. But the question is which Gary Sanchez will the Yankees be seeing?
Sanchez’s struggles at the major league level have been well documented this season. His .188 batting average is a drastic drop from his .278 average a season ago, and his .299 average in 2016. That mixed in with his occasional defensive mishaps have led the 25-year-old to some harsh criticism around the league.
If the man they call “El Gary” can come back and produce at the plate like he is capable of, the defensive issues are not that big of a deal. The timing of his return is also great considering how he owns the month of September, hitting 14 career home runs in the month.
Should the Sanchez of the first half of 2018 return, then the Yankees might have to question where Sanchez fits moving forward for the remainder of this season. But make no mistake, Gary Sanchez’s name alone just makes the Yankees lineup so much more dangerous.
