Anthony Gruppuso – USA TODAY Sports
Before outfielder Curtis Granderson broke his right arm in his first spring training at-bat, the New York Yankees had lost more than 150 home runs to free agency and injury.
When Granderson went down for the first month of the year, he took an additional 43 home runs with him, the number that led the team and that was tied for second in the American League last season. When, in just his eighth game back, he took another pitch and broke another bone , this time in his left hand, it certainly looked as if those home runs could be gone for good.
Friday night in San Diego, the man who has led all of baseball in home runs the last two seasons (84) is expected to return to the Yankees’ lineup for the first time since May 13.
After playing five rehab games in the Yankees’ farm system, it appears Granderson will be ready to go at the big league level. It’s still not clear where Granderson will play on the field or slot into the batting order. The team is happy with Brett Gardner in center field, they acquired Alfonso Soriano last week, and Ichiro Suzuki is a steady contributor.
However, like the addition of Soriano, Granderson adds a dimension that has been missing from the Yankees’ lineup all season: the ability to hit the long ball. That should at least provide some protection in the order for Robinson Cano and Soriano. Most importantly, it’ll give an opposing manager someone else to fear in a lineup that has had too many guys who have been automatic outs. The potential 3-4-5 of Cano, Soriano and Granderson sounds a lot more lethal than the 3-4-5 of Cano, Travis Hafner (currently on the DL) and Vernon Wells that the Yankees have trotted out most of the season with little success.
The Yankees are currently three games out of the second wild card spot in the American League. Derek Jeter had a resounding comeback from a quad strain four days ago, and now Granderson is most likely to return to provide some pop in a seemingly punchless Yankees lineup. There is still a long way to go and many tough games ahead, but the Yankees are setting themselves up for a potential playoff run with a soon-to-be retooled team.
Ethan Leavitt is writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
