Cursed at First?

The Yankees lost another first baseman Friday night, as a prospect’s major league career barely started:

Dustin Fowler, one of the most admired prospects in the Yankees’ acclaimed farm system, had worked his way up to his big moment Thursday night. He had flown from Syracuse for his major-league debut, when waited nearly three hours through a rain delay. He had watched the Yankees send five men to bat in the top of the first, scoring a run, and knowing he would get his first big-league at-bat in the top of the second.

Instead, Rob Refsnyder took that at-bat against the White Sox’s James Shields. At that very moment, Fowler was probably being loaded into an ambulance at Guaranteed Rate Field. There’s no telling when, or if, he will get that at-bat.

The 22-year-old outfielder is out for the season after suffering an open rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee, the result of banging the knee into the ballpark’s lower right field wall (and, according to manager Joe Girardi, an unpadded metal box that abuts the wall) from chasing Jose Abreu’s foul ball in the bottom of the first. He immediately underwent surgery at Rush University Medical Center as the Yankees proceeded to lose, 4-3.

That’s two prospect who might have helped the Yankees gone for the season.

Fowler doesn’t show up on the Day by Day Database list of Yankees first baseman, because he didn’t bat. As you can see, however, the list is a frustrating one. Only Matt Holliday hit well at the position, and he is out with a viral infection. Chris Carter returns to the team due to the injury, and at least he provides some power. Greg Bird hit poorly and can’t seem to heal from his injuries.

First base should not be a problem. The Yankees have tried to solve the position internally, but maybe now is the time to look outside the organization. In the old days, they would take Albert Pujols off the Angels hands.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2txocRv