Yankees place Luke Voit on IL, activate Albert Abreu

The day after he suffered an apparent knee injury, the Yankees placed Luke Voit back on the IL, effectively ending his regular season at the very least. In a corresponding move, the club activated right-hander Albert Abreu.

Voit appeared to aggravate his knee while striking out in a pinch-hit appearance last night. The first baseman struck out and limped toward first after the pitch was dropped, though that effort was in vain as first base was occupied. The injured left knee is the same one Voit needed surgery to repair back in spring training.

This could mark the end of a very frustrating 2021 for Voit. He led the American League in home runs in 2020, but could never really get going this year, struggling with injuries, and for playing time, with the acquisition of Anthony Rizzo cutting into Voit’s opportunities. Ultimately, Voit will conclude the regular season slate with a 109 OPS+, 11 homers, and 35 RBI.

Abreu will take his spot on the roster and give the Yankees another fresh arm. The 26-year-old has flashed at times in 2021, though his overall line still leaves something to be desired: a 5.25 ERA and 5.95 FIP across 36 innings at the big league level. Abreu looked like he’d figured something out in August, holding opponents to a .594 OPS during the month, but followed with a 9.85 ERA in September. He likely won’t be too high on the list of Aaron Boone’s favored high-leverage options over the final four games.