NEW YORK _ Didi Gregorius will need Tommy John surgery this winter on his throwing elbow, which will make what is already a much-anticipated offseason even more crucial.
The Yankees shortstop apparently injured the right elbow during the American League Division Series, the Yankees announced Friday at the season wrap-up press conference.
The Yankees announced that Gregorius had the MRI done on Thursday which revealed a tear, and that it had yet to be determined when the surgery would take place.
"We believe there is a realistic chance he plays the bulk of the season with us," Yankee manager Aaron Boone said.
When asked about the possibility of signing star shortstop Manny Machado, Cashman left the door wide open.
"We'll go through our process and evaluate the available free-agent market, engage other clubs trade-wise and (weigh) all that information against what we have internally.
"It'll take us where it takes us."
Boone said they believe the injury occurred at Fenway Park after a ball ricocheted off of the Green Monster that Gregorius "went out and got".
"He felt something then," Boone said. "He just kind of played with it the last couple of days. We're optimistic he'll be back sometime next year."
"We seem to have a lot of things going on in that series," general manager Brian Cashman said. "It's tough news without question. He's a great player. And important player for us. We're going to be without his abilities for a period of time.
"We know he'll do everything necessary and appropriate to get back on track and it's our job to hold the fort until he does."
Cashman said he'd forgotten about the fact that Gregorius had a partial tear in his elbow that was asymptomatic when they acquired him from the Diamondbacks.
Boone said he sees Gleyber Torres as an option to move over to shortstop.
"Obviously we love him at second," Boone said.
But perhaps there's a shortstop in Los Angeles who could fill that void.
Torres himself had Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow midway through his 2017 minor-league season, causing him to be shut down. Torres pronounced himself 100 percent ready the following spring.
