Goldschmidt Shines in Return Despite Injury Concerns

St. Louis – Questions lingered regarding Paul Goldschmidt’s recent knee injury and its impact on his performance. But he quickly put those doubts to rest during Sunday afternoon’s game.

In his first start back since sustaining a sprain to his right knee last Tuesday, Goldschmidt delivered a standout performance, racking up three hits, including two doubles, and propelled the Yankees to an 8-4 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

“It was great to get the win, and I had some solid hits,” Goldschmidt noted. “I wasn’t necessarily aiming for that, but it did occupy my thoughts a bit. Still, I just played my game. I didn’t feel any heightened risk in playing,” he added, clearly relieved.

On Friday, Goldschmidt had participated as a defensive substitute, with manager Aaron Boone expressing some hesitance about putting him back in the lineup due to concerns about injuries plaguing the team.

However, by Sunday, he felt confident enough to return, realizing how vital his contributions were.

“Honestly, I wasn’t overly concerned about my knee,” he stated. “But you know, when you injure something, there’s this subconscious urge to test it. It was a weird feeling. I managed to get through nine innings, which was definitely a positive,” he recalled.

Goldschmidt, who received a warm ovation before his first at-bat, contributed significantly by doubling in a critical three-run rally during the fourth inning and adding another double for insurance later in the ninth.

“That’s classic Goldie,” Boone remarked, clearly impressed by his performance.

In a separate note, following a streak of 46 consecutive games, Anthony Volpe took a short break and returned to play on Sunday, filling in as shortstop.

He later entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch runner for Giancarlo Stanton, scoring a run and playing well at shortstop.

Volpe has typically thrived when given time off but had struggled recently, hitting just 7-for-47 (.149) over his last 13 games prior to Sunday.

In injury updates, Jonathan Loaisiga (mid-back tension) began rehab assignments at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, throwing 16 pitches in a scoreless outing. Meanwhile, Fernando Cruz (Axis Co.) also made a rehabilitation appearance, allowing two runs in one inning. Additionally, Amed Rosario (SC joint sprain) is set for defensive drills ahead of his anticipated return on Tuesday.

In a surprising ejection, Yankees catching coach Tanner Swanson was thrown out of the game by third base umpire Vic Carapazza after a confrontation involving several Yankees players after a critical strike call.