New York Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza has reportedly been shut down for the next 6-8 weeks due to a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder, manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters this morning.
This comes as no surprise as Peraza has missed 10 days of Spring Training due to discomfort, then returned to play in two games earlier this week to only be sidelined again due to prolonged soreness. The top-70 MLB prospect received an MRI earlier this week, and as a result of these tests, will now miss a significant portion of the season. The best-case scenario is that after an expected ramp-up period, he could return to action in May or June.
Peraza made his big league debut in 2022 and impressed, batting .306 over 57 plate appearances. After this initial hot start though, his role within the Yankees organization has been brought into question. He has been bounced back and forth from the major league roster to the minors and hasn’t quite lived up to the production he initially displayed, slashing.191/.267/.272 over 191 plate appearances last season. This is after a battle for the starting shortstop position took place during Spring Training of 2023 between Oswald Peraza, Anthony Volpe, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa; Volpe would go on to win the starting job and was eventually awarded a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts in 2023. Peraza would spend some time filling in for Gleyber Torres at second base, and Josh Donaldson at third base showcasing his versatile defensive ability, but couldn’t quite produce on an already struggling Yankee offense.
Peraza was hoping to fill one of the last spots available as a bench-piece on the 26-man major league roster going into this season, but this injury clouds the view of his future with the organization even further. It’s no surprise that Peraza has been attached to trade rumors over the last year due to the crowded nature of the Yankees mid- infielder’s depth. Some fans have toyed with the possibility of sending Peraza elsewhere as a part of a trade to bring more depth to the Yankees starting rotation; but with Peraza’s lack of consistent success with the bat, and now an injury, this strategy may not come to fruition.
The Yankees had reportedly been searching the market for a seasoned backup infielder who could handle major league reps at shortstop as Volpe’s backup. Finding such a player would allow Peraza to begin his season in Triple-A, securing much-needed reps rather than riding the bench in the majors. Now that Peraza is injured, the need for more veteran depth is even more pronounced.
Jeter Downs, Kevin Smith, Jordan Groshans, and Josh VanMeter are currently in New York’s camp on non-roster deals. Jorbit Vivas was acquired from the Dodgers earlier this off-season and has shown promise in the lower minor leagues, but is lacking Triple-A league experience. The Yankees may look for roster depth in the late stages of Spring Training, either via roster cuts or due to opt-outs in pre-existing minor league contracts, as suggested by New York Post’s Joel Sherman.
