Tauchman suffers 'disheartening' calf injury
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BOSTON -- Mike Tauchman’s emergence as a steady regular during this breakout campaign has made him a favorite within the Yankees’ clubhouse walls, where his teammates regularly don T-shirts bearing his nickname of “Sockman,” bestowed upon the outfielder by play-by-play announcer John Sterling.
It has been a dream season for the 28-year-old, but like so many others on the roster, it may now be an interrupted one. Tauchman experienced tightness in his left calf during the Yankees’ 10-5 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday evening at Fenway Park and will return to New York for testing.
“It’s incredibly disheartening,” Tauchman said. “Being out there with the guys has been amazing. Whatever the treatment is, I’m going to attack that and get back on the field as fast as I can.”
Tauchman’s injury occurred in the fourth inning, as he fielded Brock Holt’s two-out single to left field. Tauchman favored the leg, then slowly walked off the field with head athletic trainer Steve Donohue. Holt then scored on the first of two RBI doubles as Boston narrowed the Yankees' lead to 6-4.
“I planted coming in on that ball and I felt it grab up on me,” Tauchman said. “It felt a little bit like I got kicked, which would be weird because I was the only person in left field. So that was kind of the first reaction.”
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The Yankees said Tauchman will be evaluated by team physician Christopher Ahmad in New York, where he will undergo an MRI. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tauchman has been receiving treatment for calf soreness.
“Today was the best it’s felt,” Tauchman said. “I’d been getting it treated daily for a few days and I didn’t have any issues the last two days. I’m obviously very disappointed. I’m just going to have to try to get back to game action as fast as I can.”
Cameron Maybin replaced Tauchman in left field, and Boone said he expects Maybin to return to playing regularly, having been rested in recent weeks due to lingering soreness in his left wrist that could require surgery after the season.
“He’ll play a lot and we’ll continue to monitor how he’s doing,” Boone said of Maybin, who went 1-for-2 with an eighth-inning single. “It was good to get him back in, get a couple of at-bats and get some immediate results.”