Gary Sanchez injury update: Yankees’ slugger out 4 weeks

Yankees’ 24-year-old phenom Gary Sanchez out for 4 weeks after straining his right biceps against the Orioles this weekend.

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is going to be out for four weeks following a strain of the right biceps. Sanchez was previously placed on the 10-day DL following what he had hoped to be just a pulled muscle against the Baltimore Orioles.

Sanchez took the MLB by storm last season as a rookie when he batted .299 with 20 home runs and 42 RBI in 53 games. He is a cornerstone of the Yankees rebuild effort, which also centers around Aaron Judge and Greg Bird. In the meantime, New York will need some offensive production out of both its veterans and young guns to fill the void. Additionally, the Bronx Bombers will need Austin Romine to step up in place of Sanchez. The Yankees rotation is not good enough to rely on without serious production from the bats on a daily basis.

On the season, Sanchez was off to a 3-for-20 start with one home run. Along with Sanchez’s slow start the Yankees also stumbled out of the gate to a 2-4 record before beating the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday afternoon in their home opener.

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This is a big blow to the Yankees order, but the timing is ideal if it was going to happen. New York was not expected to compete in the AL East this year, with the Boston Red Sox the clear favorite behind a rotation that features Rick Porcello, David Price and Chris Sale. At best, New York can compete for third in the East with the likes of the Blue Jays and Rays, both who have significant flaws of their own.