New York Yankees fans react to Harrison Bader likely starting season on IL: "Can't remember being less optimistic going into a season"

New York Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader had some tests done on his oblique after not feeling right earlier in the week. Tests revealed that he has a left oblique strain. He'll likely start the season on the injured list. Manager Aaron Boone has not specified a timeline for his return.

Bader is just one of the latest Yankee players injured in the last month. Frankie Montas recently had shoulder surgery last month and will be out for a while. Carlos Rodon has shut down throwing after feeling some discomfort in his elbow. Pitchers Tommy Kahnle (bicep tendinitis) and Lou Trivino (elbow ligament sprain) will also start the season on the IL.

Losing Harrison Bader for any amount of time could be significant. He was a monster for them in the postseason, hitting five home runs over two postseason series. He was nearly the only Yankee player to show up in October.

Fans of the New York Yankees had different expectations for how the season would begin. With the moves they made this offseason, the team generated a lot of buzz. Coming into this season, the public had high hopes.

If it's just a coincidence or if the front office is just signing injured players, fans are trying to make sense of it. All of the injured players were recent additions to the squad.

Other fans are calling for the team to call up Jasson Dominguez. He's a center fielder and one of the more hyped MLB prospects in the Yankee system.

What do the New York Yankees do if Harrison Bader is out for an extended period?

Depending on how long Harrison Bader is out, the New York Yankees have a couple of options. The first option is to just deal with it. Shift Aaron Judge back to center fielder for the time being and make it work until Bader is healthy.

They could also contact one of their prospects, as a fan mentioned before. Jasson Dominguez has three home runs, one stolen base, and a spring-season batting average of .438. He is quick and has a great arm. Many supporters would be delighted to see his name on the roster.

As Opening Day approaches, it will be interesting to see how the Bronx Bombers handle this.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

Know More