Fact Check: Was Joey Gallo placed on IL so that Yankees fans won't boo him on his return to Yankee stadium?

Joey Gallo's tenure with the New York Yankees was pretty painful. His first half-season was decent enough after the trade deadline, but he still wasn't hitting as well as he had in Texas. The next season wasn't any better. In fact, it was worse and at the very next trade deadline, he was shipped off to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He signed with the Minnesota Twins on a one-year deal this offseason and was playing better. He is hitting .278 with three home runs and a nice 1.183 OPS. That was until he was placed on the Injured List.

Ahead of his return to Yankee Stadium with the Twins, did they place him on the IL to avoid getting booed? No, the Twins wouldn't sacrifice a hitter who's playing well just because they're worried about Yankees fans.

Additionally, there's no guarantee that Gallo would be booed. The fans boo their own players relentlessly, which has caused a lot of problems. They booed Gallo for poor performance, but now that he's not a Yankee, they probably don't care about him.

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Why was Joey Gallo placed on IL ahead of Yankee Stadium return?

Though he will avoid any awkwardness of playing at Yankee Stadium, Joey Gallo is not doing that. He has a legitimate injury, as the Associated Press reported on ESPN:

"The slugging first baseman is dealing with a right intercostal strain that had already sidelined him for three games. The move to the IL is retroactive to April 8. The team announced that a corresponding roster move will be made before Wednesday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox."

Joey Gallo was playing well

Gallo will be out for a little while dealing with this issue.