Yankees Oswald Peraza Out 6-8 Weeks with Shoulder Injury

Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza will open the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the 23-year-old will be shut down for the next six to eight weeks.

Peraza has been dealing with shoulder discomfort for the past two weeks and recently missed ten days of Spring Training. He returned to play in two games earlier this week before being shut down again on Thursday. Peraza underwent an MRI and other imaging before his subscapularis strain diagnosis. 

A subscapularis strain is an injury to the subscapularis muscle, the largest of the four muscles that comprise the rotator cuff. Not all rotator cuff injuries require surgery; mild strains typically take six to eight weeks to recover fully. Still, the young infielder will miss the rest of camp and likely will not return to the team until late May.

Oswald Peraza has always been an assist on defense and has made the most of his big-league opportunities. A natural shortstop, Peraza has shown over the past two seasons that he’s also capable of playing second and third. Despite spending most of last season in Triple-A, the Yankees were hopeful to have Peraza in reserves for Opening Day.

Oswald Peraza is out for 6-8 Weeks with a Shoulder Injury

Signed by the Yankees out of his native Venezuela in 2016, Peraza made his major league debut in 2022. He slashed an impressive .306/.404/.429 in 57 plate appearances 2022. However, he took a step backward last season, batting .191/.267/.272 through 52 games with the Yankees.

With Peraza no longer a roster option, the Yankees must find another reserve infielder before Opening Day. Outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera has been getting more infield work in camp but was disappointed last season and is off to a rough start in Spring Training. New York could also turn to utility infielder Jahmai Jones, who the Yankees claimed off of waivers last month. Other in-house candidates the Yankees could turn to are Kevin Smith and Josh VanMeter. Smith and VanMeter are non-roster players with major league experience, but neither has impressed during Spring Training. The Yankees have also explored bringing in someone from outside the organization to fill the void on their bench. New York reportedly made an offer to Amed Rosario before he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees could also look to reunite with free-agent infielder Donovan Solano, who last played for New York in 2016.