Paul Goldschmidt Could Go on Injured List for Knee Sprain
New York Yankees’ first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, is facing a delicate situation. The player is suffering from a low-grade knee sprain and could be placed on the injured list before the weekend, coinciding with his return to St. Louis. The team will evaluate Goldschmidt during his day off and make a decision before Friday’s game against the Cardinals.Goldschmidt suffered the injury while trying to catch a foul ball hit by Byron Buxton in the third inning of Tuesday’s 9-1 victory. The player slipped while running towards the ball near the Yankees dugout.“He’s dealing with something, so we’ll see if it’s an IL situation,” manager Aaron Boone said after Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to Minnesota. “He was pretty sore last night and this morning. He seems to be much better right now, so we’ll see.”
Aaron Boone
Goldschmidt continued in Tuesday’s game and hit a double in the seventh inning before being substituted with an eight-run lead.“When I ran and threw myself backward, I think I hit my knee against the ground,” Goldschmidt explained. “I felt it hurt yesterday, but obviously I was able to play despite it.”
Paul Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt, who is batting .404 against left-handed pitchers this year, did not start on Wednesday and did not come in as a pinch hitter when Austin Wells batted and struck out against left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk in the seventh inning. The player, who signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract in December after six seasons with the Cardinals, is batting .276 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 112 games this season. It also has a fielding percentage of .996 and has committed three errors in 745 chances this year. Ben Rice started at first base for the twenty-sixth time on Wednesday, while Cody Bellinger has started at first base twice this season. Bellinger has started 273 games at first base during his nine-year career.“When I got back to my position, I thought ‘that hurts a little,’ but things like that happen,” Goldschmidt said. “I felt like I could keep playing, which I did and it was fine.”
Paul Goldschmidt
“He’s been a very important part of their team,” Bellinger said of Goldschmidt. “He’s a vacuum cleaner out there. I’ve played first before and I appreciate a lot of what he does on the defensive side.”
Cody Bellinger
