New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran will be placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a bone spur in his right elbow, according to LoHud.com's Vin Mercogliano.
Carlos Beltran headed to DL, could miss 6-8 weeks
The Yankees could find themselves in a precarious situation offensively if Beltran needs surgery and Ichiro’s back doesn’t hold up.
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Beltran plans to see if the injury will heal over the next two-plus weeks in an effort to avoid undergoing elbow surgery, which would keep him out of action for six to eight weeks. The 37-year-old veteran has not played since Monday, when he removed himself from a game against the Mets after an 0-for-3 start. A day later, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported that Beltran may need surgery to correct the issue.
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Ichiro Suzuki is expected to see more playing time while Beltran is out of the lineup, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told Mercogliano. Suzuki has recently dealt with a back injury and been out of action since Sunday, so in the event he's not ready to go when the Yankees resume playing games with the DH in place, second-year outfielder Zoilo Almonte could be called upon to fill Beltran's shoes.
Almonte posted a 59 OPS+ in 113 plate appearances a year ago, and counting on the 40-year-old Ichiro to sustain the 130 OPS+ he’s achieved in his first 58 plate appearances of 2014 doesn’t seem wise, especially if his health doesn’t hold up. As a result, the Yankees could find themselves in the familiar position a month from now as aggressive buyers on the trade market should Beltran require surgery.
Beltran hit .234/.286/.430 with five home runs in 140 plate appearances prior to the injury. The eight-time All-Star is in the first year of a three-year, $45 million deal.
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