Injuries are part of the game and it would be easy to blame the season ending ones that have put first Michael Pineda (young-stud starting pitcher) and Mariano Rivera (closer supreme) on the shelf for the 2012 season. But as the Yankee season has just slogged and stumbled across the quarter-done mark, to my eyes, it's the injury to speedy left-fielder, Brett Gardner, that may be having the most impact at present.

Right now, just about everything is failing. The pitchers expected to make up for the anemic offense -- an offense that lives up to that word: the Yanks are hitting less than a buck with RISP for a week or so now -- the bullpen, now also minus David Robertson, can't pick up the slack especially when counted to throw some many "keep the team in the game" innings.

For awhile I had been saying that as soon as the team got Nick Swisher (since returned from the DL) and Gardy back in the lineup, things would pick up. And yes, Swish is back, but he's not the same hitter he has been for the Yankees the last three seasons. Swisher's in the walk year of his contract and it seems like he is re-inventing himself to a degree as more of an RBI guy than the patient hitter who would take a slew of pitches and the accompanying walks and increased OBP.

I am not a stats/numbers guy so I am not going to look this up, but take my word for it when I say that the extended absence of Gardner and the change in Swisher has affected the entire team dubiously. These two guys take so many pitches that they not only let their teammates see them as well, the wear down starting pitchers which helps the entire lineup get into the other team's bullpen more quickly. This directly leads to more runs scored, alleviating the pressure on the starters to be perfect and, in turn, permitting the relievers to not be over-taxed, making them more effective when they are called in to the job.

Yes, the Yanks are in last place right now and have played themselves there. But, it is also still early in the season and the AL-East is pretty bunched up as every team is at least at .500 with 40+ games played. The Yanks have a nice stretch upcoming versus teams playing under the average line which will help, but mark my words: when Gardner returns and when Swish goes back to Kevin "Cage Rat" Long, their highly esteemed batting coach to ask, "WTF?" who in turn will get the excitable right-fielder going things could pick up in the Bronx.

They had better...

Cheers,
Brian

ps-- The traffic has slowed on the site(s) where you can get more info/buy my new book, "A Rose by Any Other Name" so there's no excuse now, is there? If you would like to read about a fourth of the tales that comprise the book, click here: http://www.wattpad.com/user/BrianMazo