With February near, it's time for the Montefiore Yankee Injury Report

One thing about winter: Nobody gets hurt. Wait... that's not true. Nobody seems to get hurt. As you read this, some Yankee chucklehead may be Henry Cotto-ing his eardrum with a Q-tip, or Graig Nettles-ing his hand on the lawn mower. One week in MLB is a year of tweaked gonads and jimmied disc jelly, and when the Empire reports to Camp Tampa next month, it will be viewed as front-runner in the AL East, as long as exploding gas grills and discarded banana peels don't take them down. 

An old saw goes that young players are less injury prone, or at least they heal faster than the gray hairs who are dieting on Cycle 4 kibble. Looking at last year's hospital report, you wouldn't know it. Of current Yankee starters, only three - Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge escaped injury last year. The first two were previously viewed as breakable china, and Judge hit so raggedly in July-August that his mental health, if not his body, was called into question. (He also had shoulder surgery this winter, so... what's that about? Was he playing hurt?) After that, everybody else - young and old - went down at some point. Here's a list. Forgive me if I'm forgetting someone.

Infield:
Tyler Austin broke his left foot in March, missed three months, returned and strained a hamstring. Basically, a Mulligan year, and he may never get a makeup as a Yankee.

Greg Bird bruised his ankle, played through it, sucked, nearly lost the season. Resurrected in September/October. But which half-season is he?

Didi Gregorius bruised his right shoulder in the Bud Selig World Cup, missed the first month, came back, was Iron Man. Moral: Screw Selig.

Starlin Castro strained a hammy in July, missed a month, came back, sucked, went back on the DL, then returned. His hamstrings are now in Miami.

In the minors, Uber-prospect Glyber Torres strained his non-throwing elbow and had TJ surgery, missing the last two months. Otherwise, he might have been called up to play 3B, and there would have been no Toddfather. (Who is still circling overhead, looking to land.)

At third, Chase Headley had a relatively injury-free season. He's gone to San Diego.

Outfield:

Aaron Hicks went out in June with right-side tightness, missed a month, came back, sucked, then went out in September with left oblique tightness. He's a lefty-righty switch-hurter. A recent photo shows him pumped up like a Barry Bonds blimp. Are bigger muscles less likely to strain? Hm-mm.

Clint Frazier went out in August with a left oblique strain, never returned. Missed a huge opportunity. We still don't know if Red Thunder will be traded. If so, that injury will have effectively ended his Yankee career. Sad.

Matt Holliday went out in June with a viral infection, came back in late July, sucked, then went out in August with left lumbar strain, returned, sucked. He's gone. Too bad. Seemed a stand-up guy. Get your flu shots, folks.

Jacoby Ellsbury went out in late May with a concussion, missed six weeks, wasn't the same until September streak. You can't blame a outfielder for crashing into a wall. He's no Bobby Abreu. 

Catcher:

Gary Sanchez, out in April with strained right bicep. Came back. A relative Iron Man behind the plate, but not one to block pitches in the dirt.

Pitchers:

Luis Cessa out in August with ribcage injury, never returned.

CC Sabathia out in August with right knee inflammation, back in September. At his age, always in danger of throwing his last pitch.

Masashiro Tanaka out in August with right shoulder inflammation, back in September. Pitched his best in October.

Sonny Gray strained a lat in spring training with Oakland, missed a month. He had finished 2016 injured, too - a reason they were willing to deal him for two injured Yankee prospects. 

Adam Warren, right shoulder inflammation, missed a month.

Aroldis Chapman, left shoulder inflammation, missed three weeks, was never old self.

Dellin Betances went kablooey in September and couldn't throw strikes. Mental mechanics. God knows what to expect.

What are the takeaways? Nothing you don't already know: 

1. At any time, injuries can turn Alabama's Crimson Tide into the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. 

2. The most important Yankees in 2018 might be Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade, our universal plug-in adapters. 

3. Even though he may seem like odd-man out, Clint Frazier could easily end up with 400 at bats... unless as you read this, Red Thunder is reaming his eardrum with a Q-tip. (I'm still getting over Henry Cotto.)