New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Matt Carpenter fractured his left foot on August 8, when a foul ball hit him there.
He has been in a walking boot since a couple of days after that, but told reporters on August 10 that he planned on returning this season.
We have our first Carpenter update in weeks, thanks to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
“Matt Carpenter is with the #Yankees for this series. He’s still in a boot and using a scooter to get around,” Hoch tweeted.
Matt Carpenter is with the #Yankees for this series. He’s still in a boot and using a scooter to get around.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) September 2, 2022
While it’s good to hear from the player, the update is not particularly encouraging.
We are in early September already, and Carpenter is still wearing his boot.
Once he removes it, it will still be a couple of weeks until he completes the whole process: trusting his foot to walk around, then the hitting progression.
Will He Make It Back In Time?
It’s fair to wonder if he will have time to return before the regular season ends.
He could also return once the Yankees are in the postseason, but it depends on them advancing and is a bit more complicated, roster-wise.
In any case, the Yankees offense badly needs Carpenter’s contributions.
Before going down, the veteran slugger had hit 15 home runs in just 128 at-bats, with a .305 batting average, 28 runs, 37 RBI, and an incredible 1.139 OPS.
He had been released by a couple of organizations not so long ago, but the Yankees trusted him and worked with him to overhaul his swing.
The results were amazing, and it’s a shame that he had the injury just when the team needed him the most.
It remains to be seen if the makes it back this season, but he is someone who can make a difference once fully healthy for the offense-starved Yankees.
