It seems like the Yankees will have to adjust to life without Matt Carpenter for a while, as he suffered an injury that could leave him out for the rest of the season.
When Carpenter fouled off a Logan Gilbert slider in his first at-bat of the Yankees’ 9-4 victory over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday night, he fractured his left footbecoming one of the biggest unexpected success stories in all of Major League Baseball in 2022.
Carpenter fouled the ball directly onto the top of his foot with his swing at the 0-1 pitch. He took a moment to gather himself before continuing his at-bat, which resulted in a strikeout on the following pitch.
Manager Aaron Boone and one of the team’s trainers also visited him during this time. Carpenter cautiously left the field and skipped his subsequent at-bat in the third inning. Team Locastro came in to take his place.
How long will Matt Carpenter be unable to play?
After an X-ray quickly confirmed the fracture, Carpenter said he would probably travel to New York to consult with a foot specialist and learn about the next steps and timeline.
No estimates could be made regarding the length of Carpenter’s absence, but manager Aaron Boone said following Monday’s game that it would undoubtedly be an IL situation and that the team would probably make a roster move on Tuesday.
“He’s just become such an important factor in that room,” Boone said. “And everyone loves him. So it’s a blow, but hopefully we get him back at some point.”
According to MBL.com, Carpenter, who was in the clubhouse following the game already wearing a boot and using crutches, also decided to see it that way.
“I don’t want to say a number [of how long I could be out]because I just don’t know,” said Carpenter. “But I’m holding out hope that it’ll be a situation where I could come back in the middle of September and can contribute towards the stretch run.
Carpenter, a three-time All-Star with the Cardinals who, after playing sparingly in St. Louis the previous two seasons, rediscovered his swing with the Yankeeshas put up a slash line of.305/.412/.727 with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs in 46 games this season.
