Oswald Peraza, an infielder with the New York Yankees, will miss the first few games of the 2024 season due to a subscapularis injury in his right shoulder. Manager Aaron Boone informed reporters on Saturday, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that Peraza would be out of commission for six to eight weeks due to a baseball injury. Allow extra time for Peraza to get back in shape, and it is possible he will not be ready until mid- to late-May.
The 23-year-old Peraza had a terrible season last year at the plate. In fifty-two games, he batted.191/.267/.272 (49 OPS+), with two home runs and four stolen bases. Based on calculations hosted at Baseball-Reference, his contributions were deemed to have fallen short of replacement level.
Despite being a former top prospect, Peraza was expected to start the season on the Yankees bench with utility options Oswaldo Cabrera, Trent Grisham, and backup catcher Jose Trevino.
In Peraza’s absence, the Yankees are not sure who to trust. Jorbit Vivas and Jahmai Jones are the candidates on the 40-man roster; both were acquired during the summer. But Vivas had trouble in his Triple-A debut last season, and Jones does not seem like a reliable backup shortstop. The Yankees have a few noteworthy non-roster invitees, like Kevin Smith, Jeter Downs, and Josh VanMeter, who might be useful. Though in small doses, VanMeter has enjoyed the greatest success in the major leagues.
In the upcoming weeks, the Yankees may also make another roster change. Veterans who signed minor-league contracts and are categorized as XX(B) free agents are effectively actual free agents who have the option to opt out of their contracts before Opening Day in order to pursue big-league employment elsewhere. Although it is unclear exactly who would benefit from that skill, Kevin Newman and Nick Ahmed are two names to keep in mind.
According to Spotrac, the Yankees had more than 2,000 days missed to injury last season, making them the third-most injured team in the majors. The only teams with more lost time were the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels.
