Yankees outfielder expected to miss over a month on IL

The New York Yankees placed Greg Allen on the 10-day injured list over the weekend after the outfielder strained his right hip flexor. It’s apparently a serious issue, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Friday afternoon that the club expected Allen to miss six-to-eight weeks (via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).

It’s a tough break for the switch-hitting outfielder. Allen was looking to establish himself in a New York outfield that was already without Harrison Bader and has since lost Aaron Judge to injury. He had picked up a homer and a triple over his first 17 plate appearances since being acquired from the Red Sox in a minor May trade. Allen has had a pair of brief stints with the Yankees over the past three years and performed well in each, though his overall MLB track record is a modest one.

In 292 career games, he is a .231/.299/.340 hitter. Allen had some opportunities to carve out a role in Cleveland early in his career. His recent playing time has been more sporadic and he has generally struggled offensively. He is also now on a second notable injury in as many seasons. Allen lost a good chunk of last season with a hamstring injury suffered while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

While the injuries to Judge and Bader are obviously far more significant, losing Allen for an extended stretch deals another hit to a Yankees outfield with few established players. New York has a group of Willie Calhoun, Jake Bauers, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Oswaldo Cabrera and Billy McKinney to take the reps on the grass. The Yankees are using Giancarlo Stanton exclusively at designated hitter for now after an injury list stint stemming from a hamstring strain.

Bauers has hit well in limited playing time. Calhoun has been a roughly league average hitter. Kiner-Falefa and Cabrera have struggled, while McKinney just came up from the minors this week. Even once Judge and Bader return, the Yankees figure to look for ways to add to the outfield via trade this summer.