DETROIT — After sweeping a doubleheader from the Tigers, the Yankees have won five of six as they head to their next series in Toronto.
Unfortunately, they also sent three players back to New York with injuries.
Edwin Encarnacion was pulled from Thursday’s doubleheader opener, a 10-4 win, with a left oblique strain, and J.A. Happ took a scheduled trip back following his outing to visit team physician Chris Ahmad to check on his left biceps tendinitis.
To cap off the day, Gary Sanchez didn’t make it through the second game, a 6-4 victory, because of a tight left groin that has already sidelined the catcher this season.
Afterward, Aaron Boone acknowledged the importance of all three players, but said he believes none of the injuries are serious.
At this point, it’s hard not to fear the worst, as the injury list grows constantly.
CC Sabathia — whose chronically bad right knee actually held up well in his Game 2 start — admitted it has been difficult to deal with the never-ending loss of players.
“It is, but I keep saying it’s gonna make for a good World Series DVD,’’ Sabathia said. “There’s nothing we can do. Just keep going and that’s what we’ve done all year. We’ll continue to do that.’’
Sanchez was injured when he slid trying to steal second base in the top of the third inning. He was given the green light by Boone because the Tigers weren’t holding him on, but he was thrown out anyway.
Sanchez said he felt fine jogging back to the dugout, but felt tightness when he went behind the plate in the bottom of the inning.
He was removed in the fourth and replaced by Kyle Higashioka.
Sanchez was sidelined twice this season with lower-body injuries — once with a strained groin and then with a left calf injury. The new injury, Sanchez said, feels similar to the one he got when he twisted his ankle in Minnesota in July, which cost him 16 games.
Encarnacion was pulled after his third at-bat with discomfort in his oblique that he initially felt in his first plate appearance. The DH went on to hit a two-run homer before leaving the game.
“We hope it’s minor and we got ahead of it, but we won’t know until we get it checked out,” Boone said.
Happ said he actually had been pitching with discomfort in his biceps for his last several starts.
“It’s progressing, getting to a point where we decided to go get it checked out and go from there,’’ Happ said on a conference call after allowing two runs in 4²/₃ innings.
Boone insisted the left-hander wasn’t removed because of the injury and instead pointed to the 99 pitches Happ threw.
Still, it seems an odd decision to let a pitcher keep making starts with an arm injury. Happ pointed out he pitched with similar discomfort in 2016.
And he has pitched well over his last three appearances, with a 20-inning scoreless streak snapped by Dawel Lugo’s two-out homer in the fifth on Thursday.
“It’s something I wanted to do,’’ Happ said of pitching through the tendinitis, which is located near his shoulder. “We all talked through it. I voiced my opinion. The fact I can get some results helps. … I think I’m gonna be fine and I can adjust to whatever way I’m feeling.”
Happ didn’t rule out the possibility of a cortisone shot.
Despite the additional shaky health news, Boone said he isn’t concerned his team’s attitude will be affected.
“We’ve got too much at stake right now and too great of a team to start — at any time — feeling sorry for ourselves,’’ the manager said. “Everyone in that room is capable of doing special things. That doesn’t change.”
Clearly, they’re also optimistic about Happ, but the never-ending additional injuries may eventually catch up to them.
“I’m optimistic, frankly, on all three of them,’’ Boone said. “I hope the news back in New York and the treatment makes these not long-term issues.’’