SEATTLE — After 26 impactful games, Harrison Bader is back on the injured list.
The center fielder landed on the injured list Tuesday with what Aaron Boone described as a “low-grade” right hamstring strain that will “probably be a couple weeks, but we’ll see,” the manager said.
“Obviously a guy like him really relies on the legs,” Boone said after the Yankees’ 10-2 win over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. “[The MRI exam] wasn’t bad, but enough to know that at least these 10 days are going to be needed.”
The Yankees recalled Franchy Cordero from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Bader’s spot on the roster in time for Tuesday’s game.
Greg Allen started in center on Tuesday, though Aaron Judge and Isiah Kiner-Falefa could also see time there while Bader is out.
“Just mix and match,” Boone said. “Depending on who we’re facing, what’s available to us, who’s pitching for us, we’ll just kind of piece it together. I don’t think it’ll be a real long thing for Harrison.”
The injury occurred while Bader was legging out an infield single in the top of the third inning Monday, leading to an early exit that necessitated an MRI exam on Tuesday.
After missing the first 30 games of the season with a strained oblique, Bader had returned to serve as a spark plug, hitting .267 with a .806 OPS, six steals and terrific defense in center field.
But this IL stint marks Bader’s fifth since the start of the 2021 season.
Cordero, meanwhile, will be with the Yankees at least through the end of this series before potentially being a candidate to go back to SWB when Josh Donaldson is activated off the IL.
The left-handed slugger, who hit four homers with the Yankees earlier this season before cooling off in a big way, was hitting .348 with a 1.016 OPS with 16 strikeouts in 82 plate appearances with SWB.
“Franchy, to his credit, went down there and was getting after it right away,” Boone said. “He’s been having good at-bats, so put himself in play to have this opportunity.”
Estevan Florial also has been swinging a hot bat at SWB, but unlike Cordero, he is no longer on the 40-man roster and does not have any minor league options remaining.