Prime Yankees Trade Target Injured: How Serious?

It's no secret Brian Cashman could be shopping for a third baseman ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. If the New York Yankees general manager can find an upgrade at the hot corner, manager Aaron Boone can slide the red-hot Jazz Chisholm Jr. over to second base. But one of Cashman's potential options has an injury that worth watching.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado jammed his right index finger on his body in Sunday's 7-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians, according to MLB.com's John Denton. It happened in the third inning and it forced Arenado to leave the game in the eighth inning after the finger began to swell, Denton reported Sunday.

After the game, Arenado said the finger got stiff as the game progressed but that it was better after receiving treatment. According to Denton, Arenado doesn’t think the injury is serious and hopes he won’t miss any time. The Cardinals open a three-game series with the Pirates on Monday.

The finger not withstanding, Sunday was a banner day for Arenado, who collected his 1,900th career base hit. Only five active players have more career hits: Freddie Freeman (2,351), Jose Altuve (2,313), Andrew McCutchen (2,222), Paul Goldschmidt (2,139) and Manny Machado (1,993).

Arenado also collected his 400th career double Sunday. The only current players with that many are Freeman (529), Goldschmidt (461), McCutchen (442) and Altuve (441).

"To be amongst those guys, it’s an amazing feeling, because they are some of the best in this game and some of the best to ever play,” said Arenado, per Denton. “It’s an honor to be up there with my boy [Goldschmidt], because he’s like a big brother."

Goldschmidt and Arenado were Cardinals teammates from 2021 to 2024. They could be reunited this year in New York, if Cashman can swing a trade for Arenado, an eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner. On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel identified the Yankees, as well as Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers as "best fits" for Arenado.

"Arenado is around a career best in strikeout rate, and he's still an above-average defender, but his power and patience are both trending down to around the worst of his career," the duo wrote. "He's still a solid starter but no longer a star, and the team taking him on a deal would still have to pay him like one. Potentially complicating any deal: a full no-trade clause."

Arenado, 34, is making $21 million this year and is on the books for $16 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027, according to Spotrac.

Arenado is hitting .245 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs in 78 games this season. Passan and McDaniel put the chances of an Arenado trade deadline deal at 30%.

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